cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Physics-Driven Dual-Defect Model Fits of Voltage Step-Up to Breakdown Data in Spacecraft Polymers

Overly conservative estimates of breakdown strength can increase the mass and cost of spacecraft electrostatic discharge (ESD) mitigation methods. Improved estimates of ESD likelihood in the space environment require better models of ESD distributions. The purpose of this work is to evaluate our previously proposed dual-defect model of voltage step-up-to- breakdown tests with a case study across four dielectric materials. We predicted that materials best fit by mixed Weibull distributions would exhibit better fits with the dual-defect model compared to a mean field single defect theory. Additional data for biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP), polyimide (PI or Kapton) from three sources, and polyether ether ketone (PEEK) are compared to the previous study on low-density polyethylene (LDPE). Except in one case, the dual-defect model is a better fit to bimodal distributions of tests results.
Iron and Heart Failure: Diagnosis, Therapies, and Future Directions.

Highlights •Intravenous iron supplementation provides symptomatic relief in patients with heart failure and concomitant iron deficiency. •The current definition of iron deficiency based on ferritin •Intravenous administration of iron bypasses essential regulatory mechanisms and can cause endothelial damage via the production of reactive oxygen species. •Although iron should be given to patients with heart failure and iron deficiency, sufficient consideration should be given to the route of administration and the potential for adverse effects, especially in non–iron deficient patients. •Further research must be conducted to determine whether changes in the cellular and subcellular distribution of iron in patients with heart failure are compensatory and beneficial or maladaptive and potentiates disease.
Potent double prodrug forms of synthetic phosphoantigens.

Abstract Phosphoantigens are ligands of BTN3A1 that stimulate anti-cancer functions of γδ T cells, yet the potency of natural phosphoantigens is limited by low cell permeability and low metabolic stability. Derivatives of BTN3A1 ligand prodrugs were synthesized that contain an acetate-protected allylic alcohol and act as doubly protected prodrugs. A novel set of phosphonates, phosphoramidates, and phosphonamidates has been prepared through a new route that simplifies synthesis and postpones the point of divergence into different prodrug forms. One of the new prodrugs, compound 11, potently stimulates γδ T cell proliferation (72 h EC50 = 0.12 nM) and interferon γ response to loaded leukemia cells (4 h EC50 = 19 nM). This phosphonamidate form was > 900x more potent than the corresponding phosphoramidate, and the phosphonamidate form was also significantly more stable in plasma following acetate hydrolysis. Therefore, prodrug modification of phosphonate butyrophilin ligands at the allylic alcohol can both facilitate chemical synthesis and improve potency of γδ T cell stimulation.
Information Sources and Data Management

Today, a wide variety of organizations both inside and outside of health care require health-related data for an expanding number of uses. Data on the external environment have become increasingly important for strategic, business, and marketing planning purposes. This chapter outlines the available categories of health-related data, describes the ways in which they are generated, and indicates sites where they might be accessed. The growing interest in the social determinants of health has broadened the range of data of interest to health planners. Health data can be viewed along a number of dimensions: community vs. organizational; internal vs. external; and primary vs. secondary. Relevant data also can be accessed for various geographic levels and considered from different temporal dimensions. The key means of data generation are censuses, surveys, and registration systems. Since health-related data are often not readily available, synthetic data are often generated. Primary sources of data include governments at all levels (including public health authorities), private organizations, research organizations, and commercial data vendors.
Imagining daylight: Evaluating participants' perception of daylight in work environments

This paper presents an experimental research study intended to evaluate daylight perception in work environments. The current metrics for assessing daylight in work environments involve quantifying...
Evaluation of Chloride Intrusion along Concrete–Grout Interfaces for Post-Tensioned Concrete Durability:

A pour-back is a critical component of a post-tensioned concrete system, affecting its durability by protecting anchorages and vents from corrosion. However, the material interface between the grou...
Multi-factor dependence modelling with specified marginals and structured association in large-scale project risk assessment

Abstract This paper examines the high-dimensional dependence modelling problem in the context of project risk assessment. As the dimension of uncertain performance units (i.e., itemized costs and activity times) in a project increases, specifying a feasible correlation matrix and eliciting relevant pair-wise information, either from historical data or with expert judgement, becomes practically unattainable or simply not economical. This paper presents a factor-driven dependence elicitation and modelling framework with scalability to large-scale project risks. The multi-factor association model (MFAM) accounts for hierarchical relationships of multiple association factors and provides a closed-form solution to a complete and mathematically consistent correlation matrix. Augmented with the structured association (SA) technique for systematic identification of hierarchical association factors, the MFAM offers additional flexibility of utilizing the minimum information available in standardized, ubiquitous project plans (e.g., work breakdown structure, resource allocation, or risk register), while preserving the computational efficiency and the scalability to high dimensional project risks. Numerical applications and simulation experiments show that the MFAM, further combined with extended analytics (i.e., parameter calibration and optimization), provides credible risk assessments (with accuracy comparable to full-scale simulation) and further enhances the realism of dealing with high-dimensional project risks utilizing all relevant information.
Emergence of a geometric pattern of cell fates from tissue-scale mechanics in the Drosophila eye

ABSTRACT Pattern formation of biological structures involves the arrangement of different types of cells in an ordered spatial configuration. In this study, we investigate the mechanism of patterning the Drosophila eye into a precise triangular grid of photoreceptor clusters called ommatidia. Previous studies had led to a long-standing biochemical model whereby a reaction-diffusion process is templated by recently formed ommatidia to propagate a molecular prepattern across the eye epithelium. Here, we find that the templating mechanism is instead, mechanical in origin; newly born columns of ommatidia serve as a template to spatially pattern cell flows that move the cells in the epithelium into position to form each new column of ommatidia. Cell flow is generated by a pressure gradient that is caused by a narrow zone of cell dilation precisely positioned behind the growing wavefront of ommatidia. The newly formed lattice grid of ommatidia cells are immobile, deflecting and focusing the flow of other cells. Thus, the self-organization of a regular pattern of cell fates in an epithelium is mechanically driven.
Fracture mechanics : integration of mechanics, materials science, and chemistry

Fracture and 'slow' crack growth reflect the response of a material (i.e. its microstructure) to the conjoint actions of mechanical and chemical driving forces and are affected by temperature. There is therefore a need for quantitative understanding and modeling of the influences of chemical and thermal environments and of microstructure, in terms of the key internal and external variables, and for their incorporation into design and probabilistic implications. This text, which the author has used in a fracture mechanics course for advanced undergraduate and graduate students, is based on the work of the author's Lehigh University team whose integrative research combined fracture mechanics, surface and electrochemistry, materials science, and probability and statistics to address a range of fracture safety and durability issues on aluminum, ferrous, nickel, and titanium alloys and ceramics. Examples are included to highlight the approach and applicability of the findings in practical durability and reliability problems.
Ethics and Animals: The natural and the normative

Crocodiles are animals who inhabit human nightmares and with good reason. Crocodiles hide below the surface and wait until just the right moment to spring out, toothy mouths ajar, to attack. They are ideal metaphors for the subconscious. They are also truly frightening predators. The late ecofeminist philosopher Val Plumwood had a near fatal encounter with a crocodile and described her terror after enduring a crocodile “death roll.” Her description of the attack is horrifying: As I pulled the canoe out into the main current, the rain and wind started up again. I had not gone more than five or ten minutes down the channel when, rounding a bend, I saw in midstream what looked like a floating stick – one I did not recall passing on my way up. As the current moved me toward it, the stick developed eyes. A crocodile!…Although I was paddling to miss the crocodile, our paths were strangely convergent. I knew it would be close, but I was totally unprepared for the great blow when it struck the canoe. Again it struck, again and again, now from behind, shuddering the flimsy craft. As I paddled furiously, the blows continued. The unheard of was happening; the canoe was under attack! For the first time, it came to me fully that I was prey. I realized I had to get out of the canoe or risk being capsized. The bank now presented a high, steep face of slippery mud. The only obvious avenue of escape was a paperbark tree near the muddy bank wall. […]
Gender and caste intersectionality in the Indian context

The current paper deals with the concept of intersectionality, with specific emphasis on interconnectedness of gender and caste discrimination situated in the Indian society. While globalization brought along with it development and prosperity, it also increased the gap between the rich and the poor. Gender and caste inequalities have been deeply rooted in the Indian culture and the sudden surge of prosperity lead to power politics by some oligarchs, depriving basic human rights for individuals from the minorities. Women with multiple identities are still not represented and their opinions not voiced in the parliament. There is not much research on the effect of the convergence of multiple identities on the life of individuals, and this paper is an attempt to address this gap in literature. To address the needs of the downtrodden in India, we explore the intersectionality of gender and caste using a lens of cultural conflict as a means to identify the systems, structures, and experiences that can be ameliorated through HRD intervention.
Effects of Picornavirus Proteinases on Host Cell Transcription

Poliovirus (PV) is known to shut off both host cell transcription and translation. It is believed that the shutoff of host cell transcription in PV-infected cells increases the pool of free ribonucleotides that the PV-encoded RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (Pol) uses to transcribe and replicate the viral genomic RNA. In support of this theory, PV first shuts off Pol I-mediated transcription in the cell that accounts for greater than 50% of all host cell transcription. The authors have used in vitro transcription systems for understanding the mechanism by which PV shuts off host cell transcription catalyzed by RNA Pol I, II, and III. Infection of susceptible cells with PV results in rapid and dramatic changes in macromolecular metabolism, including the shutoff of host cell transcription. Early attempts to identify the cellular components of the transcriptional machinery inactivated by picornavirus infection focused on the polymerases. To examine whether 3Cpro is sufficient to cause inhibition of host cell transcription seen in virus-infected cells, 3Cpro was cloned into the eukaryotic expression vector pCDNA. The role of the 3C protease in host cell transcription shutoff is clear from both genetic and biochemical analyses. PV is an RNA virus, which replicates in the cytoplasm of infected cells. To shut off host cell transcription, one or more viral gene products must enter the nucleus of the infected host cell. The viral precursor 3CD has protease activity and is able to autocatalyze the formation of 3C and 3D polypeptides.
Flat metallic surface with sub-10-nm gaps using modified atomic-layer lithography

We developed a novel atomic layer lithography procedure to fabricate large area flat metallic surfaces with sub-10-nm features, which is particularly useful for fabrication of nanostructures with strongly localized field enhancement.
Mechanism of Instabilities in Turbulent Combustion Leading to Flashback

High-speed schlieren cinematography, combined with synchronized pressure transducer records, was used to investigate the mechanism of combustion instabilities leading to flashback. The combustion chamber had an oblong rectangular cross-section to model the essential features of planar flow, and was provided with a rearward facing step acting as a flameholder. As the rich limit was approached, three instability modes were observed: (1) humming - a significant increase in the amplitude of the vortex pattern; (2) buzzing - a large-scale oscillation of the flame; and (3) chucking - a cyclic reformation of the flame, which results in flashback. The mechanism of these phenomena is ascribed to the action of vortices in the recirculation zone and their interactions with the trailing vortex pattern of the turbulent mixing layer behind the step.
Deep Inelastic Scattering of Leptons and Tests of Quark/Parton Models

In this paper we will review the information which can be obtained from deep inelastic scattering (DIS) of leptons from hadrons. As is well known, it was through DIS that one was able to infer that nucleons are made up of apparently pointlike elementary constituents.1 The latest Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to Friedman, Kendall and Taylor for their leadership in these experiments. Since this time very detailed experiments have been carried out on both nucleon and nuclear targets, using either charged leptons (electrons or muons) or neutrinos.
Sinking Poor Decision-Making with Best Practices: A Case Study of Artificial Reef Decision-Making in the Florida Keys

SINKING POOR DECISION-MAKING WITH BEST PRACTICES: A CASE STUDY OF ARTIFICIAL REEF DECISION-MAKING IN THE FLORIDA KEYS By Thomas Wayne Williams, Ph.D. A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2006 Major Director: Dr. Greg Garman, Director of the School of Environmental Science The natural reefs of the world are experiencing higher use and pressures, resulting in anthropogenic impacts that are deteriorating many coral stands and creating poor water quality. The Florida Keys rely primarily on the reef system that surrounds the archipelago for their socioeconomic health and successful future. The Florida Keys shares the symbiotic relationship of the terrestrial and marine realms with many other states and countries and the experience of higher demand on the resource. Artificial reefs could provide a substitute to the natural reefs for commercial and recreational users. An increased demand for derelict vessels of the U.S. Navy and Maritime Administration has illustrated the popularity of their use as artificial reefs. Local decision-makers do not have the experience to apply to an artificial reef proposal and many rely on existing anecdotal data and “expert” testimony. A lack of evaluation criteria adds to the difficulties of determining if an artificial reef proposal is appropriate for their community. With little empirical data available in the literature and a lack of comprehensive pre and post deployment data completed, how does the decisionmaker decide? This study seeks to determine if a method exists that provides criteria and best practices for evaluation of artificial reef projects. Although the study’s focus is on artificial reefs, this matrix could be modified to apply to any project where similar dynamics apply. The matrix uses a disaggregate method modeled after the Goeller scorecard. The model provides a best practice’s matrix developed through a metaanalysis of three existing artificial reef projects, a comprehensive literature review, and interviews with three decision-makers at different levels of participation. The matrix applies identified best practices and provides a scoring method that can assist the decision-making process. This study acknowledges the limitations of a research project such as this and realizes that many decisions in a political realm have variables not covered in a study of this scope. However, an identified lack of decision-making continuity demonstrates the need for such a study and the research provided within this study is an important first step. Chapter
Reflection on Chinese boys' love fans: An insider's view

The fandom of BL, as it is known in China, celebrates explicit homoerotic relationships between boys or men—fictional characters taken from mainstream media, real-life celebrities, and male personifications of day-to-day objects and animals, as well as original characters. Mainstream media reports on BL fandom and BL fan girls in China have never been favorable; this subculture and the fans within it are constantly represented in a negative and biased light. But because I am a BL fan girl myself, I can offer an insider's perspective. This essay is a reflection on my personal experiences and observations as a member of BL fandom, and a response to erroneous, stigmatizing claims and moral panic about this community in China.
Familial renal disease in soft‐coated wheaten terriers

Objective To review what is known about the familial renal diseases in soft-coated wheaten terriers (SCWT), provide an update in developments in this field including the relationship with protein-losing nephropathy (PLN) and the potential association with protein-losing enteropathy (PLE). Data Sources Information was derived from studies of dogs maintained in the North Carolina State University colony, information contained within an open registry of affected dogs, and data gathered from the general population of wheaten terriers at risk as well as studies performed on banked DNA samples from affected SCWT in the general population and normal geriatric dogs seen at the University of Pennsylvania (PennVet). Human Data Synthesis A two-hit pathogenesis has been proposed in some types of human focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, specifically the subset of cases that are associated with a podocytopathy. At risk podocytes may be predisposed to injury by disease processes that would be reversible in other patients. Veterinary Data Synthesis Mutations were found in association with PLN in SCWT, indicating a podocytopathy that causes a change in glomerular permselectivity. This podocytopathy leads to the development of lesions resembling focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. There is also strong evidence supporting a high prevalence of food hypersensitivity reactions in SCWT, although it is unclear if these reactions have a primary or secondary role in the development of PLE. There are also suggestions of immunodysregulation in affected SCWT. Conclusions PLN in SCWT is due to a podocytopathy. The cause of PLE has not been identified; however, it is possible that PLE develops from a functional-structural abnormality in the intestines and food allergies develop as secondary phenomena. It is also possible that inflammatory events that are the result of either immunodysregulation or food allergies might lead to the development of PLE. In either case, PLE most likely exacerbates PLN in affected SCWT.
Polymeric nanowire architecture

We describe a newly developed scanned electrospinning technique that can be used to form a variety of one-dimensional polymeric nanostructures. It is a straightforward technique that enables the rapid fabrication of oriented polymeric nanowires as well as their integration with lithographically defined surfaces. It presents new opportunities for the manufacture and applications of nanowire devices.
Using centroid covariance in target recognition

An automatic target recognition algorithm for low quality imagery is reported. Compact shaped targets are represented by their 2D silhouettes. Associated with each point on the silhouette, there is a direction roughly perpendicular to the local segment of the silhouette. The location of each silhouette point is assumed to be perturbed along that direction. A statistical technique is used to estimate the variance of that perturbation for the silhouette points of the hypothesized target. This variance is then used to estimate the location covariance of the target centroid. Target detection and recognition is based on this covariance. Target scaling, aspect, and rotation are not considered. Experiments on 31 FLIR images give a correct recognition of target identity and target location for 29 of the 31 images.
Biomechanical evaluation of locked plating in proximal humeral fractures

The ideal method of fixation in proximal humeral fractures is not well established. Locked plating is a potential solution, but to date, there has been little support shown in the literature. We compared the biomechanical performance of a locked plate with that of an intramedullary humeral nail in a cadaveric model. Paired fresh-frozen cadaveric humeri (N = 5) were instrumented with either a locked plate or an intramedullary nail after creation of a 3-part osteotomy. Construct stiffness, cyclic loading behavior, and load to failure were evaluated. The locked plate was more stiff in valgus loading than the nail (P = .003). All other loading vectors showed no statistical differences in stiffness between the two constructs. The load to failure was 828 N for the plate and 901 N for the nail. The nail showed interfragmentary motion (degrees), or toggle, at zero load, whereas the plate did not. The locked plate, being stable at zero load, may prove useful in earlier pain-free rehabilitation of proximal humeral fractures.
Incorporation of weight-specific relative fecundity and maternal effects in larval survival into stock assessments

Abstract Marine fish populations may exhibit a number of complexities in their reproductive dynamics, such as weight-specific relative fecundity (i.e. eggs produced per spawner weight increases with spawner size) and maternal effects (i.e. reduced larval survival with reduced spawner age), that are typically not incorporated in stock assessment models. Improved information on reproductive biology could alter estimates of stock productivity and potentially improve estimation of stock–recruitment parameters. In this study, we examined the influence of maternal effects and weight-specific relative fecundity on stock status (defined as reproductive potential and measured as eggs, larvae, or spawning stock biomass), Fmsy, and the statistical fit of stock–recruitment curves estimated within the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands Pacific ocean perch (Sebastes alutus) and Gulf of Alaska walleye pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) statistical catch-at-age assessment models. In each example, estimates of recruitment strength and the variation around stock–recruitment curves were relatively insensitive to various indices of reproductive potential. However, weight-specific relative fecundity increased estimates of Fmsy, whereas maternal effects decreased estimates of Fmsy. The range of Fmsy estimates obtained for walleye pollock from eight indices of reproductive potential was 0.12–0.19, whereas the Fmsy range for Pacific ocean perch from three indices of reproductive potential was 0.079–0.084. For walleye pollock, weight-specific relative fecundity and recent increases in spawner weight-at-age resulted in an upward trend in reproductive potential relative to constant relative fecundity with spawner size. The two examples demonstrate the influence of reproductive biology upon stock productivity even in cases where residual recruitment variation is relatively unaffected, and motivate the ongoing monitoring of reproductive status and its incorporation in estimation of fishing rate reference points.
Optimizing Route Formation Algorithm to Reduce Simulation Run-Time for Large Tactical Networks

Mobile ad-hoc networks (MANETs) are a major component of all DoD tactical networks. MANETs must be carefully analyzed to ensure integrated DoD networks perform properly on an end-to-end basis. Simulation is generally used to evaluate these networks before their actual deployment. We have identified the routing table calculation to be a major contributor to the excessive run-time and have employed an algorithm based on the breadth-first search to improve the simulation run-time. Our results show that employing the new algorithm will result in a lower run-time for the simulation.
Perinatal brain injury and cerebellar vermal lobules I-X in schizophrenia.

Several studies, including our own, have reported atrophy of the cerebellar vermis in some schizophrenic patients. A recent report by Courchesne et al (1988) of hypoplasia of a developmentally specific region of the cerebellar vermis in autism prompted us to hypothetize that the cerebellar “atrophy” in some schizophrenic patients may also have developmental origins. We measured the area of the vermal lobules in 30 male schizophrenics. Contrary to expectation, the patients as a group had consistently larger cerebellar structures than the controls. Patients with perinatal injury had smaller structures than the nonperinatally injured group, but these measures were still larger than in the control subjects. Patients without perinatal injury differed most from controls, having larger lobules VI–VII (p < 0.03). These preliminary findings tentatively suggest a role for developmental factors for cerebellar structures in schizophrenia. Further research is needed to clarify the cerebellar vermal changes observed in some schizophrenic patients.
Educators must take the electronic revolution seriously.

The advanced fields in the physical sciences and quantitative social sciences began using computers years ago. But only recently has the electronic revolution reached the point where educators in both medicine and the humanities must take it seriously. This is because (1) computers have finally become powerful enough to permit the creation of teaching machines (called multimedia packages) that can manipulate the massive amounts of information involved in medicine and the humanities; and (2) the Internet is now fast enough and widely distributed enough to change teaching practices. Multimedia packages will drastically change traditional teaching and learning; the author reviews these and other likely impacts of these packages. For example, faculty members' effective contact with students will not be bound by time and place; students can learn at their own paces in their preferred modes; and the distinction between elementary and advanced learning will be virtually impossible to maintain. The Internet makes it possible to offer classes to students no matter where they or the teacher are located, to ignore strict constraints of time (a class discussion can go on for days), and to create "electronic communities" of students and faculty. The author reviews the great advantages of these capabilities, but states that this development of the virtual university could seriously undermine actual universities (e.g., difficulties of maintaining faculty competence in their disciplines; impossibility of deciding issues of department size and diversity; questions of the effectiveness of learning that does not take place face-to-face; problems of students' and teachers' time management, on which the traditional structures of curricula and teaching methods are built). Despite the fundamental adjustments that will be necessary, the author sees the electronic revolution in education as a necessary consequence of what is already taking place in research, where multimedia packages and the Internet are being used extensively, because in professional education, teaching and learning arise directly from research. Just as scholars and scientists have embraced this revolution, educators should embrace it in their educational programs and practices.
Ongoing Follow-up and Support for Chronic Disease Management in the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Diabetes Initiative

Purpose The purpose of this article is to identify approaches to providing ongoing follow-up and support for diabetes self-management based on the experience of 14 self-management projects of the Diabetes Initiative of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Methods This study is a collaboration with grantees of the Diabetes Initiative of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a program focused on diabetes self-management in primary care and community settings. Grantees and national program staff identified key functions that ongoing follow-up and support need to fill and key features of programs that do so. Results Key functions of ongoing follow-up and support include monitoring of status and self-management, encouragement and facilitation of regular clinical care, encouragement and motivation of self-management, and facilitating skills for coping with changes in circumstances or emergent problems. Key features of ongoing follow-up and support to fill these functions are being available on demand; being proactive in maintaining contact and preventing individuals from "falling between the cracks"; having personal, motivational, and consistent key messages; not being limited to diabetes; and being inclusive of a wide range of resources and settings. Conclusions Initial characterization of key features of ongoing follow-up and support has been accomplished. This should facilitate research to clarify how it may best be provided and systematic approaches to doing so. These should lead to health service and policy initiatives supporting this critical dimension of programs to promote self-management and lifelong healthy living patterns.
The GRB family of SH2 domain proteins

The cloning of SH2 domain proteins based on their binding to growth factor receptors is a powerful technique to elucidate new signaling pathways. In some cases the function of these proteins has been quickly ascertained while in others the answers still elude us. However the major power of the technique is its ability to identify novel signaling cascades that can emanate from tyrosine kinases. The challenge is to define the nature of these signaling cascades.
The intrinsic origin of the grain-boundary resistance in Sr-doped LaGaO3.

In this paper I summarize our recent investigations (Park and Kim, Phys Chem C 111:14903, 2007; Solid State Ionics 179:1329, 2008) on the origin of the grain-boundary resistance in a doped LaGaO3, a perovskite-structured solid electrolyte. The partial electronic and ionic resistances of the bulk and the grain boundaries, as well as the total resistance, in 1 mol% Sr-doped LaGaO3 were measured separately by means of a dc-polarization method and ac-impedance spectroscopy. Both of the partial resistances at the grain boundaries were greater than the bulk counterparts, indicating that the grain boundaries impede the ionic as well as the electronic transport in this material. The transference number of the partial electronic conductivity at the grain boundary was however greater than that in the bulk. This fact strongly suggests that both electronic and ionic charge carriers deplete at the grain boundaries to form the space-charge zones and that the grain-boundary cores in this material are positively charged. In light of the fact that the effective charge of the oxygen vacancy (+2) is greater than that of the electron hole (+1), the oxygen vacancies deplete more sharply in the space-charge zones compared to the electron holes such that the grain boundaries become more mixed conducting relative to the bulk. These observations verify that the electrical conduction across the grain-boundaries in 1 mol% Sr-doped LaGaO3 is governed by the space charge.
Ethical challenges in the managed practice of obstetrics and gynecology

Obstetrics and gynecology has been transformed from a fee-for-service, unmanaged system to a prepaid managed system. This change poses significant ethical challenges, which we address. We show that obstetrician-gynecologists and medical institutions are moral co-fiduciaries of female and pregnant patients, that the obstetrician-gynecologist should be economically disciplined without capitulating to managed care, and that managed care organizations have an obligation to support the medical education and research from which they benefit.
The Biology of Religious Behavior: The Evolutionary Origins of Faith and Religion

The Biology of Religious Behavior: The Evolutionary Origins of Faith and Religion , edited by Jay R. Feierman, Praeger/ABC-CLIO: Santa Barbara, CA, 2009, xix + 301pp. ISBN 978 0 313 36430 3, US$49....
Analytical study of migration-enhanced fault tolerance for long-running applications in IFR systems

Computer systems with increasing failure rate (IFR) are common in practice. For such systems, the literature indicates that aperiodic checkpointing can provide better performance than periodic checkpointing due to its adaptability to the failure process. However, for long-running applications, aperiodic checkpointing suffers from substantial operational overhead due to frequent checkpointing operations as the application proceeds. To address this problem, in this paper, we propose to incorporate just-in-time process migration in addition to aperiodic checkpointing for applications running in an IFR system. The goal is to reduce application execution time in the presence of failures. In particular, we present an analytical study of this migration-enhanced fault tolerance scheme (denoted as migCP) by deriving application completion time by using migCP and further determining the optimal migration locations. We demonstrate, through analytical modelling and empirical studies, that migCP outperforms aperiodic checkpointing under a variety of system parameters.
13.—Zoning of Ore Deposits: Types and Causes

The zoning found in ore deposits is dominantly of two distinctive types: that in syngenetic sedimentary deposits, like the Kupferschiefer, and that in common hydrothermal deposits of either epigenetic or syngenetic characteristics. Here, epigenetic hydrothermal deposits include those commonly classified as vein, porphyry copper, contact metasomatic, and Mississippi Valley deposits; the syngenetic hydrothermal deposits are conformable, massive ores such as at Rammelsberg. The two zoning sequences, beginning nearest the source of the metals, are: in hydrothermal deposits, Fe—Ni—Sn—Cu—Zn—Pb—Ag—Au—Sb—Hg, and in sedimentary deposits, Cu—Ag—Pb—Zn. A zoning sequence represents the natural order of increasing solubilities of the metallic sulphides and other minerals in ore-forming solutions. Comparison of zoning sequences with relative solubilities in proposed ore solutions provides a rigorous test of the efficacy of such solutions. When corrected for relative metal concentrations (mass-action effect), then both theoretically predicted, and experimental relative solubilities of sulphide complexes match precisely the order of hydrothermal zoning. The order in sedimentary zoning is identical to the mass-action-corrected calculation of the sequence in which sulphides must precipitate from solutions containing metallic ions or weak chloride or hydroxyl complexes. The consanguinity of these correlations imply (1) that hydrothermal zoning is the product of deposition from sulphide complexes, and (2) that chloride complexes may be the metal-transporting agent in sedimentary deposits.
THE MOLECULAR WEIGHT OF α-AMYLASE INHIBITOR FROM WHITE BEAN cv 858B (PHASEOLUS VULGARIS L.) IS 56 kDa, NOT 20 kDa

The molecular weights (M r s) of α-amylase inhibitors (αAIs)fiom 18 (AIs) bean cultivars estimated by Superose 12 gelfiltration chromatography were 22-62% smaller than those determined by Sephadex G-100 gel filtration and by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) methods. αAI-4 from WKB cultivar 858B was purified and the Mr was shown to be 51.0 kDa based on Sephadex G-100 gel filtration chromatography and by PAGE. A M r for αAI-4 of 56.714 kDa was determined by laser-assisted time-of-flight mass spectrometry and appears to be the true M r of the mature glycosylated active αAI-4. The results show that Superose 12 gel filtration chromatography is not usefulfor M r determination of some proteins. Sodium dodecyl sulfate electrophoresis (SDS-PA GE) showed that the 56.7 kDa αAI-4 molecule dissociated into 45. 0, 33.6, 15.2 and 12.4 kDa submolecules, with only the two small subunits, α and β, present at high SDS concentration. This provides evidence that the αAI-4 molecules composition is α 2 β 2 .
A silicon carbide LOCOS process using enhanced thermal oxidation by argon implantation

A process is described for creating local oxidation of silicon structure (LOCOS) structures in silicon carbide using enhanced thermal oxidation by argon implantation. Thicker oxides were created in selective regions by using multiple energy argon implants at a dose of 1 × 1015 cm−2 prior to thermal oxidation. Atomic force microscopy was used to analyze the fabricated LOCOS structure.
In VitroMeasurement of β-Lactamase-Catalyzed Ampicillin Hydrolysis by RecombinantEscherichia coliExtracts Using Quantitative High-Performance Liquid Chromatography

We report a rapid and simple protocol for measuring the beta-lactamase activity from recombinant Escherichia coli cells transformed with any of the common plasmid vectors that provide ampicillin resistance through constitutive expression and periplasmic localization of the beta-lactamase TEM-1. The hydrolytic enzyme was extracted from the E. coli periplasm and the beta-lactamase activity determined by measuring conversion of ampicillin to aminobenzyl-penicilloic acid using quantitative high-performance liquid chromatography. Under saturating conditions the in vitro assay was linear as a function of both incubation time and enzyme concentration. Application of this assay to investigate TEM-1 expression, from two different protein expression vector systems, demonstrated the potential importance of this assay in studies of recombinant protein expression and translocation.
An improved method for isolating intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) from the murine small intestine with consistently high purity

Methods for obtaining preparation of intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) present special challenges for immunologists due to difficulties in recovering IELs devoid of contaminating enterocytes. Although high-purity preparations can be achieved using techniques such as flow cytometric or magnetic-activated cell sorting, those methods may not be feasible on a routine basis and may result in low overall cell recoveries. Thus, most procedures today rely on density gradient centrifugation as a means of separating IEL and non-hematopoietic cells; however, the purity of IELs from those preparations can vary considerably. Here, we describe a modification of an IEL purification technique that uses two sequential Percoll gradients rather than one gradient in the purification scheme. This alteration consistently results in 80-85% IEL purity in cell preparations. Moreover, it requires no additional reagents, has no adverse effect on the phenotypic composition of recovered IELs or on the cell viability, and adds minimal additional time to the isolation protocol. It is expected that this procedure will have practical benefit as a means of isolating IELs with high purity on a routine basis that can be used for in vivo or in vitro studies of IEL function.
Optimization of Electrodynamic Screens for Efficient Removal of Dust Particles

Electrodynamic Screens (EDS) is a promising alternative for removing dust particles from solar collectors and advantageous compared to the current water-based cleaning methods used widely in solar industries. To operate the EDS for efficient removal of dust layer having different size distributions and compositions of particles, it is necessary to optimize the design of the EDS and the materials used for construction. Since the electric field is the main component in removal of the dust particles, this paper reports optimization of the electric field as the function of geometric parameters of the EDS. For the optimization of the EDS, two distinct objective functions have been defined and the optimal values for the electrode width and inter-electrode spacing have been provided. The EDS model has been implemented in the COMSOL Multiphysics finite element analysis (FEA) software and analytical results have been verified. Based on the optimized parameters, different designs have been gone under fabrication process and then testing. This is a work in progress paper and the experimental results will be provided later to corroborate the higher clearance rates for the optimal designs.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Conserved patterns of incomplete reporting in pre-vaccine era childhood diseases

Incomplete observation is an important yet often neglected feature of observational ecological timeseries. In particular, observational case report timeseries of childhood diseases have played an important role in the formulation of mechanistic dynamical models of populations and metapopulations. Yet to our knowledge, no comprehensive study of childhood disease reporting probabilities (commonly referred to as reporting rates) has been conducted to date. Here, we provide a detailed analysis of measles and whooping cough reporting probabilities in pre-vaccine United States cities and states, as well as measles in cities of England and Wales. Overall, we find the variability between locations and diseases greatly exceeds that between methods or time periods. We demonstrate a strong relationship within location between diseases and within disease between geographical areas. In addition, we find that demographic covariates such as ethnic composition and school attendance explain a non-trivial proportion of reporting probability variation. Overall, our findings show that disease reporting is both variable and non-random and that completeness of reporting is influenced by disease identity, geography and socioeconomic factors. We suggest that variations in incomplete observation can be accounted for and that doing so can reveal ecologically important features that are otherwise obscured.
Choices and Consequences

Choice making is at the heart of all of economics. Agricultural economists in particularwhether as classroom teachers, researchers, policy makers, or extension persons-have a long tradition emphasizing choices and consequences. However, there is always room for improvement. The annual meeting of this Association provides an opportunity to take stock, to look ahead a bit, and to find a new sense of purpose for what we do. Economics is often defined as the study of the allocation of scarce resources among competing ends. The difficulty with this definition is that it does not focus on who is making the choices and what these choices are. We need to deal explicitly with who bears the consequences and what these consequences are. Only in a Robinson Crusoe economy do all consequences bear solely on the decision maker. Economic theory can be an aid to choice making, but it is not an end in itself. As Hicks once said, "The place of economic theory is to be servant to applied economics." Many interesting problems cannot be attacked with an economic model that snaps from equilibrium to equilibrium as quickly as the rubber band you remove from the morning paper. The process of adjustment is at least as important as the ultimate equilibrium position, probably more important because equilibrium is never achieved. We often encounter considerable difficulty in dealing with single-valued objective functions. Public policies, however, are made in a multiple-objective setting in which equity and security considerations cannot be ignored. Attempts to draw policy recommendations directly from static, single-objective functions likely will lead to disappointment. Economists often have a unique contribution to make in evaluating consequences. Few other specialties pay as much attention to foregone opportunities, a key element in the measurement of consequences. To say that
Amino acid sequence at the active center of succinate dehydrogenase

Abstract The amino acid sequence of the coenzyme binding site of beef heart succinate dehydrogenase is serine-histidine-threonine-valine-alanine. Flavin adenine dinucleotide is covalently bound to a ring nitrogen of histidine through the 8α position of the isoalloxazine ring system.
Improved calculated linewidths for H2O broadened by N2

Abstract N2-broadened linewidths of H2O have been calculated for the pure rotational and v2-band transitions using an improved version of the Anderson-Tsao-Curnutte theory. Agreement with the experimental values is good. It is shown that the contribution from the quadrupole-quadrupole interaction is significant. Previous calculations by Gamache and Davies, based on QFT theory, are reviewed and compared with the present calculations.
Sensory neuropathy in a child.

A child with impaired sensation in the hands, forearms, feet, and lower legs is described. There was complete analgesia and diminished sensation to touch and temperature in a glove and stocking distribution, but no motor, autonomic, or intellectual deficit. The condition became apparent at 10 months of age when she began biting the tips off the fingers without manifesting pain. Biopsy of a sensory nerve (the sural) revealed complete demyelination. Intracutaneous histamine caused a wheal without flare in the involved areas. The condition represents a degeneration of the dorsal root ganglia.
Energy dependence of the carrier mobility-lifetime product in hydrogenated amorphous silicon

The results of optical-absorption measurements determined by photothermal deflection spectroscopy, primary photoconductivity, and secondary photoconductivity on undoped and phosphorus-doped hydrogenated amorphous silicon films (a-Si:H) are reported. A normalization procedure for obtaining photocurrent spectra at constant generation rate is demonstrated. From these measurements, the efficiency-mobility-lifetime product (eta..mu..tau) for electrons is found to be constant from 2.0 to approx.0.9 eV for both undoped and phosphorus-doped a-Si:H. For excitations less than approx.0.9 eV, there is evidence that the product eta..mu..tau for electrons drops rapidly; similarly, the eta..mu..tau for holes exhibits a rapid decrease in undoped material for photon energies less than approx.1.5 eV. A model is proposed to explain the results, resolving a discrepancy between secondary- and primary-photoconductivity measurements of the optical absorption.