cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Simulation of Fracture Behavior in Asphalt Concrete Using a Heterogeneous Cohesive Zone Discrete Element Model

With increasing traffic loads and changes in crude petroleum refining techniques, cracking in asphalt pavements continues to be a major cause of structural and functional deterioration of these systems, particularly in cold climates. Although modern design tools such as the AASHTO Mechanistic Empirical Pavement Design Guide have recognized the need to predict pavement cracking in pavement life cycle cost analyses, the development of true fracture tests and associated models is hampered by a lack of fundamental knowledge of the physical nature of cracking in asphalt concrete materials. A clustered discrete element method (DEM) was employed as a means to investigate fracture mechanisms in asphalt concrete at low temperatures. The DEM approach was first verified by comparing elastic continuum theory and the discontinuum approach using uniform axial compression and cantilever beam models. A bilinear cohesive zone model was implemented into the DEM framework to enable simulation of crack initiation and propagation in asphalt concrete. Verification of the cohesive zone fracture model was carried out using a double cantilever beam. The main advantage of the DEM approach was that a mesoscale representation of the morphology of the material could be easily incorporated into the model using high-resolution imaging, image analysis software, and by developing a relatively simple mesh generation code. The simulation results were shown to compare favorably with experimental results, and moreover, the simulations provide new insight into the mechanisms of fracture in asphalt concrete. The modeling technique can provide more details of the fracture process in laboratory fracture tests, the influence of heterogeneity on crack path, and the effects of local material strength and fracture energy on global fracture test response.
Oil, carrots, and sticks: Russia's energy resources as a foreign policy tool

Abstract This paper will explore the growth of Russia’s energy leverage in recent years, a source of power which Russia has used both to reward its friends and punish its enemies. It will briefly trace the origins of this power in the integrated energy networks of the former USSR and Warsaw Pact. It will then examine recent cases of the use of ‘oil power.’ Both positive and negative linkage will be considered. Some states-such as Armenia, Belarus and the Ukraine under President Kuchma-have been favored with heavily subsidized energy. Others-such as Georgia, Moldova, the Baltic States and the Ukraine under President Yushchenko-have been targeted by supply disruptions and punitive price increases. Russia’s new ‘petro-power’ is of great importance today, and not just for its immediate neighbors: like other ‘petro-states,’ Russia is likely to gain ever more power as oil and gas become scarcer in the future.
Synthesis, Characterization, Charge Transport, and Photovoltaic Properties of Dithienobenzoquinoxaline- and Dithienobenzopyridopyrazine-Based Conjugated Polymers

Two donor–acceptor polymers (P1 and P2) based on dithienobenzoquinoxaline (M1) and dithienobenzopyridopyrazine (M2) as acceptor and indacenodithiophene as donor were synthesized via Stille polycond...
Modeling the Effects of Formic Acid and Molasses on Ensilage

Abstract A computer simulation model of the ensilage process is used to study the effect of molasses and formic acid addition on the time course of fermentation and final silage quality. The model simulates the growth and death of lactic acid bacteria and clostridia, hemicellulose hydrolysis, proteolysis, release of ammonia, and changes in water-soluble carbohydrate content, fermentation end products, water activity, and pH. Varying application rates are considered with a range of dry matter contents, buffering capacities, and water-soluble carbohydrate contents for both alfalfa and ryegrass. The results indicate that final silage pH can be either increased or decreased by formic acid addition depending on application rate, crop dry matter content, and other parameters. Final silage pH is decreased by molasses only when the water-soluble carbohydrate content is low enough to inhibit the extent of fermentation. Formic acid is predicted to reduce substantially the extent of proteolysis in silage, while molasses has little or no effect. Both formic acid and molasses reduce the range of conditions resulting in clostridial spoilage, but formic acid ensures a lactate silage with greater certainty.
An assessment of the tropical humidity‐temperature covariance using AIRS

[1] We investigate the horizontal and vertical structure of the covariance between water vapor and temperature in the tropical troposphere, using satellite measurements from the Atmospheric InfraRed Sounder (AIRS). Our analysis reveals large spatial gradients in the local covariance between water vapor and temperature. Positive correlations dominate the tropical lower and upper troposphere, while regions of negative correlation are common in the tropical middle troposphere. While regressions of the tropical mean water vapor and temperature profiles reveal slopes of the same order of magnitude of the Clausius-Clapeyron regime, the regression of local values can be up to an order of magnitude larger than the Clausius-Clapeyron prediction. Results from the NOAA GFDL global circulation model are also shown for comparison.
Kinetics of influenza hemagglutinin-mediated membrane fusion as a function of technique.

Reliable techniques are required to evaluate the plausibility of proposed membrane fusion mechanisms. Here we have studied the kinetics of establishing the lipidic connection between hemagglutinin-expressing cells (HA-cells) and red blood cells (RBC) labeled with octadecylrhodamine, R18, using three different experimental approaches: (1) the most common approach of monitoring the rate of the R18 dequenching in a cuvette with a suspension of RBC/HA-cell complexes; (2) video fluorescence microscopy (VFM) to detect the waiting times before the onset of R18 redistribution, not dequenching, for each RBC attached to an adherent HA-cell; and (3) a new approach based on blockage of RBC fusion to an adherent HA-cell at different time points by lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC), so that only the cell pairs which, at the time of LPC application, had fused or were irreversibly committed to fusion contributed to the final extent of lipid mixing. The LPC blockage and VFM gave very similar estimates for the fusion kinetics, with LPC monitoring also those sites committed to the lipid mixing process. In contrast, R18 dequenching in the cuvette was much slower, i.e., it monitors a much later stage of dye redistribution.
Capillary hyperdisperson of wetting liquids in fractal porous media

Recent displacement experiments show ‘anomalously’ rapid spreading of water during imbibition into a prewet porous medium. We explain this phenomenon, calledhyperdispersion, as viscous flow along fractal pore walls in thin films of thicknessh governed by disjoining forces and capillarity. At high capillary pressure, total wetting phase saturation is the sum of thin-film and pendular stucture inventories:S w =S tf +S ps . In many cases, disjoining pressure ∏ is inversely proportional to a powerm of film thicknessh, i.e. ∏ ∞h −m , so thatS tf ∞P c −1/m. The contribution of fractal pendular structures to wetting phase saturation often obeys a power lawS ps ∞P c (3−D), whereD is the Hausdorff or fractal dimension of pore wall roughness. Hence, if wetting phase inventory is primarily pendular structures, and if thin films control the hydraulic resistance of wetting phase, the capillary dispersion coefficient obeysD c ∞S , where v=[3−m(4−D) ]/m(3−D). The spreading ishyperdispersive, i.e.D c (S w ) rises as wetting phase saturation approaches zero, ifm>3/(4−D),hypodispersive, i.e.D c (S 2) falls as wetting phase saturation tends to zero, ifm<3/(4−D), anddiffusion-like ifm=3/(4−D). Asymptotic analysis of the ‘capillary diffusion’ equation is presented.
2-year clinical evaluation of alternative treatments to replacement of defective amalgam restorations.

Clinical Relevance Repair offers the most conservative and predictable results for the treatment of amalgam restorations with inadequate marginal adaptation and anatomic form.
Effect of CO2 and HCN on the quinone Hill reaction with Anabaena variabilis

Abstract The effect of CO 2 and HCN on the quinone Hill reaction with cell suspensions of the blue-green alga, Anabaena variabilis , is similar to that previously reported for Plectonema boryanum ; that is, the Hill reaction is inhibited by HCN, and the inhibition can be relieved by CO 2 . Cell-free particles prepared from Anabaena show a similar response to HCN and CO 2 with quinone and other Hill reagents. A comparison has been made of the effect of varying HCN and CO 2 concentrations on the quinone Hill reaction with cells and with cell-free particles of Anabaena , and the reversibility of these HCN and CO 2 effects has been demonstrated.
Ultrasonic nanotherapy of pancreatic cancer: lessons from ultrasound imaging.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is the fourth most common cause of cancer death in the United States, with a median survival time of only 3−6 months for forty percent of patients. Current treatments are ineffective, and new PDA therapies are urgently needed. In this context, ultrasound-mediated chemotherapy by polymeric micelles and/or nanoemulsion/microbubble encapsulated drugs may offer an innovative approach to PDA treatment. PDA xenografts were orthotopically grown in the pancreas tails of nu/nu mice by surgical insertion of red fluorescence protein (RFP)-transfected MiaPaCa-2 cells. Tumor growth was controlled by fluorescence imaging. Occasional sonographic measurements correlated well with the formal tumor tracking by red fluorescence. Tumor accumulation of paclitaxel-loaded nanoemulsion droplets and droplet-to-bubble transition under therapeutic ultrasound was monitored by diagnostic ultrasound imaging. MiaPaCa-2 tumors manifested resistance to treatment by gemcitabine (GEM). This drug is th...
Uncertainty Quantification for Multiscale Simulations

A general discussion of the quantification of uncertainty in numerical simulations is presented. A principal conclusion is that the distribution of solution errors is the leading term in the assessment of the validity of a simulation and its associated uncertainty in the Bayesian framework. Key issues that arise in uncertainty quantification are discussed for two examples drawn from shock wave physics and modeling of petroleum reservoirs. Solution error models, confidence intervals and Gaussian error statistics based on simulation studies are presented
Induction of lactation in precancerous hyperplastic alveolar nodules in the mammary gland of C3H/He Crgl mice.

La secretion lactee se produit dans les nodules alveolaires hyperplastiques de la glande mammaire des souris femelles intactes de la souche C3H/He Crgi, a la suite de l'administration du cortisol et de l'œstradiol, mais non pas apres l'emploi de l'œstrogene avec le progesterone. Lorsque l'hypophyse, l'ovaire et la glande surrenale ont ete enleves, les nodules montrent une secretion lactee sous l'effet du cortisol et de la mammotropine ou de la somatotropine et indiquent une sensibilite differentielle aux combinaisons hormonales lactogenes.
Hormonal and behavioral response of male chimpanzees to a long-acting analogue of gonadotropin-releasing hormone

A long-acting preparation of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) was administered to three adult male chimpanzees living in a socially integrated group. Hormonal changes and behavioral responses were monitored for 8 days. Blood serum levels of luteinizing hormone peaked at about 8 hr and returned to baseline at 48 hr. Total serum testosterone reached the highest levels of 140% above baseline at 24 hr and returned to baseline after 48 hr. Out of a wide variety of behaviors observed in detail, only one cluster of three related behaviors showed even a suggestion of response: The two measures of activity, lone travel (p<0.05) and distance traveled (p<0.1), decreased on the day of hormone administration followed by an increase on the 2 subsequent days, and idle time (p<0.1) revealed the reciprocal pattern. In view of various reports of behavioral effects of GnRH in other species, it is particularly noteworthly that parameters of sexual and agonistic behavior of male chimpanzees definitely did not change.
Racial and ethnic disparities in influenza vaccinations among community pharmacy patients and non-community pharmacy respondents.

Abstract Background Since 2009, pharmacists in all 50 states in the U.S. have been authorized to administer vaccinations. Objectives This study examined racial and ethnic disparities in the reported receipt of influenza vaccinations within the past year among noninstitutionalized community pharmacy patients and non-community pharmacy respondents. Methods The 2009 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey was analyzed. The sample consisted of respondents aged 50 years or older, as per the 2009 recommendations by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the influenza vaccination rates and disparities in receiving influenza vaccinations within past year between non-Hispanic Whites (Whites), non-Hispanic Blacks (Blacks) and Hispanics. The influenza vaccination rates between community pharmacy patients and non-community pharmacy respondents were also examined. Results Bivariate analyses found that among the community pharmacy patients, a greater proportion of Whites reported receiving influenza vaccinations compared to Blacks (60.9% vs. 49.1%; P P P P P Conclusion Although influenza vaccination rates were higher among community pharmacy patients, there were racial disparities in receiving influenza vaccinations among both community pharmacy patients and non-community pharmacy respondents. Increased emphasis on educational campaigns among pharmacists and their patients, especially minorities, may be needed.
The role of the anionic potential in excited-state proton transfer in lumichrome picosecond spectroscopy☆

Abstract Lumichrome (7,8-dimethylalloxazine) phototautomerism to its isoalloxazine structure is studied by picosecond transient absorption spectroscopy. The transient absorption spectra of lumichrome were studied in ≈5×10 −4 M at λ ex = 355 nm (OD=0.8−1.6) in pyridine, glacial acetic acid, and water (pH 9.8). Transient absorption spectra of the chemically produced lumichrome anion (λ max = 480 nm), and of lumifiavin (λ max = 500 nm) as the tautomeric form of lumichrome, are correlated with respective transients at 480 nm (at 50–75 ps) and 500 nm (at 500 ps). The strong catalysis mechanism for lumichrome phototautomerization is interpreted as occurring through an anionic intermediate, and an anionic potential model is suggested for a lowered tautomerization barrier.
Investigation of thermal performance of a passive solar building with floor radiant heating

Abstract This paper presents a theoretical study of an integrated radiant floor heating–direct gain passive solar system. Thermal mass is utilized both for storage of auxiliary heating energy and direct solar gains incident on the floor. An explicit finite difference model is developed to accurately model nonlinear effects and auxiliary heating control. The numerical simulation model is employed to study the performance of a passive solar outdoor test-room with different amounts of thermal mass under various control strategies with constant and sinusoidal room thermostat setpoints. A satisfactory thermal mass is determined based on energy savings, reduction of room temperature swings, and prevention of floor surface overheating. Control of auxiliary heating based on a room effective (operative) temperature is shown to result in improved thermal comfort and higher utilization of passive solar gains as compared to room air temperature control.
Unusual bone marrow manifestations of parvovirus B19 infection in immunocompromised patients.

Parvovirus B19 is responsible for a spectrum of disease in humans. The usual bone marrow findings in acute parvovirus infections are marked erythroid hypoplasia and occasional giant erythroblasts. Intranuclear inclusions in developing erythroid precursors are rarely described in children or adults with parvovirus infection, although abundant intranuclear inclusions are commonly observed in the placenta and other tissues in infected fetuses. In this study, 8 patients are reported in whom the first evidence of parvovirus infection was the recognition of numerous intranuclear inclusions in erythroid precursors on bone marrow biopsy sections. Six of the 8 patients had documented immunodeficiencies; 4 had acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), and 2 were on chemotherapy. Five of 7 patients were negative for immunoglobulin G (IgG) anti-parvovirus antibodies, including all 4 with AIDS. Unlike the typical pattern in parvovirus infection, the bone marrow was hypercellular in most of the patients, and erythroid precursors were usually increased with the entire spectrum of normoblast maturation represented; abundant intranuclear inclusions were observed similar to the finding in fetuses. The inclusions were variably eosinophilic and compressed the chromatin against the nuclear membrane. In situ hybridization showed parvovirus B19 DNA in numerous erythroid precursors in all cases. The findings of erythroid maturation and abundant viral inclusions in these immunocompromised patients is consistent with the hypothesis that failure to produce effective IgG parvovirus neutralizing antibodies may lead to persistent infection through viral tolerance that allows erythroid development of infected cells past the pronormoblast stage. Identification of parvovirus inclusions in marrow biopsies and subsequent confirmation of infection by in situ hybridization can be important in the assessment of anemia in immunodeficient patients because serological studies for parvovirus B19 are frequently negative.
Review: Cholinesterase inhibitors may be effective in Alzheimer's disease.

Source Citation Kaduszkiewicz H, Zimmermann T, Beck-Bornholdt HP, van den Bussche H. Cholinesterase inhibitors for patients with Alzheimer's disease: systematic review of randomised clinical trials...
Delayed‐Neutron Activation Determination Of Uranium in Twelve Rock Reference Standards

The uranium content of twelve rock reference samples, five from the Canada Centre for Mineral and Energy Technology, four from the Czechoslovakian Institute of Mineral Raw Materials and three from the United States Geological Survey was determined by neutron activation followed by delayed-neutron counting. Uranium contents measured ranged from 0.20 to 560 ppm. Three of the Canadian samples have relatively well established uranium contents. Of these we agree well with two of them; our value on the third is ∼13% lower than the recommended value. Comparison of our data on the other samples with other researchers is not yet possible because (i) no determinations are yet reported on several of these samples and (ii) even when several reported values are available, the wide disparity of those values does not allow meaningful comparison.
Single chain spectroscopy of conformational dependence of conjugated polymer photophysics.

Single molecule confocal fluorescence microscopy was used to perform photoluminescence spectroscopy on single, isolated molecules of the conjugated polymer poly[2-methoxy,5-(2′-ethyl-hexyloxy)-p-phenylene-vinylene] (MEH-PPV). We show that the fluorescence from single chains of this electroluminescent polymer depends strongly on chain conformation. The time evolution of the spectra, emission intensity, and polarization all provide direct evidence that memory of the chain conformation in solution is retained after solvent evaporation. Chains cast from toluene solution are highly folded and show memory of the excitation polarization. Exciton funneling to highly aggregated low energy regions causes the chain to mimic the photophysical behavior of a single chromophore. Chains cast from chloroform, however, behave as multichromophore systems, and no sudden discrete spectral or intensity jumps are observed. These also exhibit different spectroscopy from the folded chromophores.
Accumulation of 109cadmium in extracellular granules in the kidney of the bivalve mollusc Mercenaria mercenaria (L.)

Abstract As part of an ongoing investigation of the transport, accumulation and excretion of metals in the infaunal eulamellibranch Mercenaria mercenaria (L.) organisms were exposed to radioactive cadmium followed by an autoradiographic study of the kidney tissue to determine the morphological sites of cadmium accumulation. Preliminary results of these studies indicate that cadmium is associated with large extracellular granules in the lumina of the kidneys. The presence of radioactive cadmium was determined morphometrically by counting developed silver grains on sections coated with a photographic emulsion. The results were statistically significant (99·9 % confidence—Student's t-test) to show that more radioactive cadmium was associated with large granules than with the background tissue.
Exegetical Eschatology, the Peasant Present and the Final Discourse Genre: The Case of Mark 13

The ancient literary form best fitting the Synoptic "Eschatological Discourse" is the final discourse, the final words of a person about to die, describing what was forthcoming for those near and dear to him/her. The nineteenth-century German theological terms "apocalyptic" and "eschatology" are misplaced and misleading when applied to New Testament documents in general and to the Synoptic final discourse in particular. Ancient self-evident presuppositions about the devolution of life might have naturally (i.e. culturally) served as latent assumptions in the Synoptic story line but do not receive explicit attention.
The Small, Methionine-Rich Chloroplast Heat-Shock Protein Protects Photosystem II Electron Transport during Heat Stress

Evidence suggests that the small chloroplast heat-shock protein (Hsp) is involved in plant thermotolerance but its site of action is unknown. Functional disruption of this Hsp using anti-Hsp antibodies or addition of purified Hsp to chloroplasts indicated that (a) this Hsp protects thermolabile photosystem II and, consequently, whole-chain electron transport during heat stress; and (b) this Hsp completely accounted for heat acclimation of electron transport in pre-heat-stressed plants. Therefore, this Hsp is a major adaptation to acute heat stress in plants.
Delay discounting correlates with proportional lateral frontal cortex volumes.

Background Functional neuroimaging experiments in healthy control subjects have shown that choosing between small and immediate rewards versus larger but deferred rewards in delay discounting (DD) tasks recruits mesofrontal and lateral frontal cortex. Might individual differences in frontocortical gray matter morphology be related to preference for immediate reward? Methods We related DD in a laboratory decision-making task to proportional frontocortical gray matter (GM) volumes calculated from segmented magnetic resonance images in 29 healthy adults. Results Dorsolateral and inferolateral frontal cortex GM volumes (corrected as a proportion of whole cerebral brain volume) each correlated inversely with preference for immediate gratification during decision making, as indexed by DD constant k . Conversely, neither proportional orbitofrontal or mesofrontal cortex GM volume nor cerebral brain volume (CBV) or total intracranial volume (ICV; a measure of maximal brain growth) significantly correlated with severity of DD. Conclusions Severity of discounting of delayed rewards correlates with proportional lateral frontocortical GM morphology but not with whole brain measures. In light of evidence of frontocortical abnormalities in substance dependence and sociopathy, future studies can assess whether reduced frontocortical volume itself is a morphological marker or risk factor for inability to delay gratification in psychiatric disorders.
The 1.38 A crystal structure of DmsD protein from Salmonella typhimurium, a proofreading chaperone on the Tat pathway.

The DmsD protein is necessary for the biogenesis of dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) reductase in many prokaryotes. It performs a critical chaperone function initiated through its binding to the twin-arginine signal peptide of DmsA, the catalytic subunit of DMSO reductase. Upon binding to DmsD, DmsA is translocated to the periplasm via the so-called twin-arginine translocation (Tat) pathway. Here we report the 1.38 A crystal structure of the protein DmsD from Salmonella typhimurium and compare it with a close functional homolog, TorD. DmsD has an all-α fold structure with a notable helical extension located at its N-terminus with two solvent exposed hydrophobic residues. A major difference between DmsD and TorD is that TorD structure is a domain-swapped dimer, while DmsD exists as a monomer. Nevertheless, these two proteins have a number of common features suggesting they function by using similar mechanisms. A possible signal peptide-binding site is proposed based on structural similarities. Computational analysis was used to identify a potential GTP binding pocket on similar surfaces of DmsD and TorD structures.
A Nonlinear Wound Roll Model Allowing for Large Deformation

A new model is developed for predicting the internal loads in a wound roll. The principal contribution is the ability to account for large deformation. This is important for applications that require tightly packed rolls with large interlayer pressure and web compression. A nonlinear, orthotropic, plane-strain, pseudoelastic constitutive law is used. Arguments are made as to why the material symmetry condition does not apply to the wound roll. An efficient numerical solution scheme is developed, and a good correlation is achieved with interlayer pressure measurements available in the literature.
Analytical performance prediction on multicomputers

Multicomputers have the potential to deliver Gigaflop performance on many scientific applications. Initial implementations of parallel programs on these machines, however, are often inefficient and require significant optimization before they can harness the potential power of the machine. Performance prediction tools can provide valuable information on which optimizations will result in increased performance. This paper describes an analytical performance prediction model. The model is designed to provide performance data to compilers, programmers and system architects to assist them in making choices which will lead to more efficient implementations. Efficient performance prediction tools can provide information which will help programmers make better use of the power of multicomputers.
Risk Response in the Beef Marketing Channel: A Multivariate Generalized ARCH-M Approach

A model of the farm-retail price spread for beef is specified under rational expectations, in which systematic risk response on the part of marketing intermediaries is allowed. The three-equation structural model contains potentially time-varying risk terms in margin and supply equations, which I approximate and estimate using a multivariate GARCH-in-Mean approach. The estimated model is used to infer relative risk premia in beef margins, and to simulate short-run equilibrium risk effects. Results indicate that price risk has, at times, had substantial impacts on farm and retail beef prices and production.
Empiric antibiotic use—aztreonam as a model

Abstract Empiric antibiotic therapy, which accounts for over 90 percent of in-hospital therapeutic antibiotic decisions, may be defined as tentative therapy designed to decrease morbidity and mortality associated with severe infection due to mortality associated with severe infection due to unidenfied bacterial pathogens. In the 48- to 72-hour interim between presentation and the availability or reliable culture and sensitivity data that allow for definitive theraphy, empiric therapy, extremely important. Aztreonam, the first member of the monobactam class of monocyclic betalactam antibiotics, is highly active against most gram-negative aerobic bacteria, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa . Its spectrum of activity is simpilar to that of the aminoglycosides but without the toxicity associated with those agents. For this reason, aztreonam may play an important role in empiric therapy. Currently, it can be reccomended as single-agent emperic therapy only for severe urinary tract infections, but in combination with a variety of other agents, its has proved useful against a wide range of bacterial infections, and in certain subgroups, such as penicillin-allergic patients, it may reoresent the treatment of choice. It is not yet clear whether aztreonam is superior to other relatively nontoxic agents, such as the third-generation cephalosporins or carbanems, but there is little doubt that this new agent is a generally safe and effective drug for the treatment of suspected gram-negative sepsis.
Energetics of the N-O bonds in 2-hydroxyphenazine-di-N-oxide.

. This value was combined with the gas-phase standard enthalpy of formation for2-hydroxyphenazine retrieved from a group estimative method yielding the mean (N-O) bond dissociationenthalpy, in the gas-phase, for 2-hydroxyphenazine-di-N-oxide. The result obtained with this strategy is〈DH°m(N - O)〉) 263 ( 4kJâmol
Effect of film thickness on the performance of photopolymers as holographic recording materials.

An important issue in developing applications for photopolymers in holography is the effect of film thickness on recording properties. Now it is possible to create these samples with a much wider range of thickness (d = 20–1400 µm) than was previously available. We exploit these recent advances in photopolymer processing to systematically evaluate how the dynamic range of a photopolymer depends on its thickness. The results illustrate that sample performance increases linearly with thickness as predicted by standard models of volume holography. However, above a critical thickness sample performance degrades, and the angular response of recorded plane-wave holograms shows evidence of grating curvature. These distortions are likely the result of photopolymer shrinkage, which in thicker samples occurs in a nonuniform fashion. This problem limits the performance of these photopolymers and is likely to be an issue for any photopolymer that undergoes comparable polymerization shrinkage.
A polycrystal plasticity model for predicting mechanical response and texture evolution during strain-path changes: Application to beryllium

Abstract A polycrystalline material, deformed to large plastic strains and subsequently reloaded along a distinct strain path, exhibits a change in flow stress and hardening behavior. Such changes upon reloading depend on the level of mechanical anisotropy induced by texture and sub-grain microstructure developed during prior loading. In order to comprehend such material behavior, we extend a previously developed rate- and temperature-sensitive hardening law for hexagonal single crystals that accounts explicitly for the evolution of dislocation densities by including the effects of reverse dislocation motion and de-twinning on strain hardening and texture evolution. The law is implemented within a visco-plastic self-consistent polycrystalline model and applied to simulate macroscopic behavior of polycrystalline beryllium during strain-path changes. We show that the model successfully captures the mechanical response and evolution of texture and twin volume fraction during pre-loading in compression and subsequent cross-reloading in compression along two orthogonal directions at two different strain rates. These predictions allow us to elucidate the role played by various slip and twin mechanisms, de-twinning, and reverse dislocation motion on strain hardening and texture evolution of beryllium during strain-path changes. The model is general and can be applied to any metal deforming by slip and twinning.
How do students’ behaviors relate to the growth of their mathematical ideas?

Abstract The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship between student behaviors and the growth of mathematical ideas (using the Pirie–Kieren model). This analysis was accomplished through a series of case studies, involving middle school students of varying ability levels, who were investigating a combinatorics problem in after-school problem-solving sessions. The results suggest that certain types of student behaviors appear to be associated with the growth of ideas and emerge in specific patterns. More specifically, as understanding grows, there is a general shift from behaviors such as students questioning each other, explaining and using their own and others’ ideas toward behaviors involving the setting up of hypothetical situations, linking of representations and connecting of contexts. Recognizing that certain types of student behaviors tend to emerge in specific layers of the Pirie–Kieren model can be important in helping us to understand the development of mathematical ideas in children.
Spontaneous eye motility following a unilateral vestibular lesion

Abstract The strong imbalance of the output of vestibular nuclei, resulting from a hamilabyrinthectomy, causes among other postural and occular symptoms, a failure to hold a steady ocular position in the dark. In this study the time course of the spontaneous eye motility following a right hemilabyrinthectomy was analyzed. In all animals, at the first recordings, drifts of 0.8–1.0°/s were present. These drifts were directed to the lesion side, then they shifted their trajectory more than once. At the final recordings, most animals exhibited very slow drifts (0.05–0.1°/s) directed to the intact side suggesting an overcompensation of the initial extreme rightward deviation.
Headshake versus whole-body rotation testing of the vestibulo-ocular reflex

The vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) is usually evaluated by whole-body rotary chair oscillation in darkness, but is limited to ambulatory patients. In order to develop a portable method of VOR assessment, eye movements from 10 normal subjects were studied under three conditions: 1. whole-body rotary chair oscillation in the dark and in the light with a head mounted blank field, 2. passive head-on-body rotation in the light with a blank field, and 3. active head-on-body rotation in the light with a blank field. The influence of visual fixation, neck rotation, and volition on VOR gain was to be assessed. Head oscillations were maintained at 0.5 and 1.0 Hz, 50°/s peak velocity. Mean VOR gains with blank field testing were indistinguishable from those obtained in darkness during whole-body rotation. In addition, there were no significant differences in the mean gain between whole-body, passive head rotation or active head rotation. Two vestibulopathic patients (absent calorics bilaterally and oscillopsia) were also studied to illustrate potential clinical utility of the methods. Rotations under all conditions revealed low but variable gains. The evaluation of the VOR in the light with a blank visual surround and passive or active head rotation is a potentially useful clinical method of bedside assessment of the VOR.
Human IgG Fc domain engineering enhances antitoxin neutralizing antibody activity

The effector activity of antibodies is dependent on engagement with Fcγ receptors (FcγRs) and activation of the associated intracellular signaling pathways. Preclinical evaluation of therapeutic humanized or chimeric mAbs to study the interactions of their Fc regions with FcγRs is hampered by substantial structural and functional FcγR diversity among species. In this report, we used mice expressing only human FcγRs to evaluate the contribution of FcγR-mediated pathways to the neutralizing activity of an anti-anthrax toxin chimeric mAb. We observed that the protective activity of this mAb was highly dependent upon FcγR engagement, with minimal protection against anthrax toxin observed in FcγR-deficient mice following mAb administration. We generated anti-anthrax toxin mAbs with specific Fc domain variants with selectively enhanced affinity for particular human FcγRs and assessed their activity in FcγR-humanized mice. We determined that Fc domain variants that were capable of selectively engaging activating FcγRs substantially enhanced the in vitro and in vivo activity of anthrax toxin-neutralizing antibodies. These findings indicate that the application of Fc domain engineering is a feasible strategy to enhance toxin-neutralizing activity and suggest that engineered antitoxin antibodies will have improved therapeutic efficacy.
The Exchange of Children in Tudor England: an Anthropological Phenomenon in Historical Context

This paper examines the movement of children as servants from subor dinate to superordinate households in Tudor England. Drawing on anthropologi cal theories of reciprocity, it seeks to broaden and revise existing accounts of this phenomenon. It is argued that the exchange of children in this period may be seen as a means by which the ranks of the Tudor hierarchy were bound, differentiated, and defined. It is also argued that the exchange of children played an important role in their socialization. In general terms, the paper seeks to demonstrate the value of theories of reciprocity for historiographic analysis.
A Study of Copper as a Cathode Material for an Ambient Temperature Sodium Ion Battery

The electrochemical behavior of copper was examined as a possible metal/metal(II) chloride cathode for a room temperature sodium battery in a nonaqueous melt comprised of methanesulfonyl chloride, aluminum chloride, and sodium chloride, Electrodes plated with a finite amount of copper showed a decrease in the amount of stored charge with increasing cycles, while solid copper electrodes showed a steady amount of oxidation and reduction. To keep the electrolyte buffered, the electrolyte contained excess NaCl in the form of a slurry. Results with a working electrode in NaCl slurry showed a Cu/Cu(II) coulombic efficiency (reduction/ oxidation) of less than 100%, while a coulombic efficiency of 55% was observed for the electrode in the buffered slurry. On the other hand, a coulombic efficiency over 100% was observed for trials where the electrode surface was not submerged in the NaCI slurry resulting in a lower buffer capacity. This was probably due to local acidity change near the electrode surface caused by the decrease in chloride ions as the copper is oxidized to copper chloride. This local acidity may cause side reactions to take place that chemically participated in the oxidation. This was supported by results using an electrochemical quartz crystal nanobalance that show a greater increase in mass than expected from the amount of current passed during oxidation.
Characterization of papillomaviruses isolated from cutaneous fibromas of white-tailed deer and mule deer.

Abstract Deer fibromavirus (DFV), a member of the papillomavirus genus, was isolated from cases of fibromatosis in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus). SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis of virions indicated no molecular weight differences in the major structural protein. DFV agglutinated mouse erythrocytes and the reaction could be inhibited by both DFV-specific and BPV-1-specific antisera. Although analysis of restriction endonuclease digestion products indicated minor differences in cleavage patterns, the DFV DNAs were indistinguishable by liquid phase hybridization and restriction enzyme cleavage maps indicated most of the sites in common. Comparison of DFV DNA to BPV-1 and BPV-2 DNA under stringent liquid-phase hybridization conditions indicated that 3 to 9% DNA sequence homology could be detected between the genomes of these viruses. Blot-transfer hybridization revealed that DFV DNA reannealed to the same restriction fragments of BPV-2 DNA under stringent conditions that DNA from other papillomaviruses hybridize to under nonstringent conditions.
Role of prostaglandins in the mediation of systemic tachyphylaxis to angiotensin II.

Abstract Angiotensin-induced prostaglandin release has been implicated in the development of tachyphylaxis to angiotensin in vitro . Based on these findings and evidence that prostaglandins modulate the angiotensin response locally, experiments were done to investigate the role of prostaglandins in the systemic tachyphylaxis to angiotensin. Rats were given intravenous infusions of 1-asparaginyl-5-valyl and 1-aspartyl-5-isoleucyl angiotensin II at two different doses. Using systemic blood pressure as a parameter, varying degrees of tachyphylaxis were produced and the aspartyl analog was found to be more tachyphylactic. When rats were given indomethacin, a prostaglandin synthesis inhibitor, the response to intravenous infusion of aspartyl angiotensin was not significantly altered.
Welcome Associate Editor Zsolt Balogh

The World Journal of Surgery would like to welcome a new associate editor to our ranks. Zsolt Balogh MD PhD FRACS (ortho), F. A. Orth. A., FACS is the Director of Trauma at the John Hunter Hospital and Professor of Surgery and Traumatology at the University of Newcastle in Newcastle, Australia. Prof Balogh was born in Hungary and is a dual citizen of Hungary and Australia. He received his MD and PhD at the Albert Szent-Gyorgyi Medical University in Szeged, Hungary, where he also received his clinical training in orthopedics and traumatology and then joined the faculty in the Department of Traumatology at the Albert Szent-Gyorgyi Medical Center for 5 years. Following this, he did several trauma fellowships in the US and Australia before joining the faculty in the John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle in 2005 as Director of the Trauma Services. He became the Professor of Traumatology in 2009 and the Professor of Surgery in Newcastle in 2015. He has received 22 awards for scholarly work, including the John Mitchell Crouch Fellowship, which is the most prestigious research recognition of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. His students, residents, and fellows have received an additional 16 awards. His paper entitled ‘‘Epidemiology of Traumatic Deaths: Comprehensive Population Based Assessment’’ was awarded the WJS 2010 paper of the year. Prof Balogh has received 14 research grants to cover everything from basic science in trauma and inflammation to public health. He has published 150 peer review manuscripts, many in the WJS, and has guest edited a symposium for the WJS on the abdominal compartment syndrome. He has served as a reviewer for the WJS since 2005 and has served on the editorial board since 2013. Prof Balogh has presented his research internationally and has held leadership positions in the Australian Orthopedic Association, The AO Foundation, the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma, and a number of other organizations. Prof Balogh will join Ari Leppaniemi as our WJS Associate Editors for the Surgery of Trauma, Critical Care, and Acute Care Surgery. We are thrilled to have the academic talents of Zsolt Balogh on our team of Associate Editors.
The Clash of David and Goliath at Sea: The USS Cole Bombing as Sea Insurgency and Lessons for the ROK Navy

On October 12, 2000, the USS Cole was attacked by a small band of Islamic (global) insurgents. Why would sea insurgents attack a professional warship that did not appear to be related to counterinsurgency? When are such attacks successful, and when are they not successful? Three dimensions—value, vulnerability, and learning—give convincing answers to this puzzle. I trace two cases: the USS Cole bombing and the USS Ashland and Kearsarge missile attack. I find that when the navy is equipped with a fast learning process and this reduces its vulnerability, sea insurgents' attacks are less successful. This strategic interaction dynamic is strongly applicable to South Korea under three subdynamics: alliance, commitment dilemma, and enhanced naval capabilities. Thus, the Republic of Korea Navy needs to establish a flexible strategy in its effort to effectively deal with nontraditional threats as well as traditional threats, such as North Korea.
A network-assisted system for energy efficiency in mobile devices

We present the design and implementation of Scepter, a system with explicit infrastructure support to reduce energy consumption and improve battery life of mobile devices. Scepter focuses on effective techniques that can reduce the total number of bits transmitted to communicate the same information from a mobile device to a base station. Scepter combines multiple techniques into a single unified architecture by utilizing a stateful proxy located within the infrastructure close to the wireless base station. Scepter intentionally introduces asymmetries in wireless communication tasks between a mobile device and the stateful proxy to provide greater energy advantages to the mobile device. In this work, we have implemented all capabilities of Scepter as various kernel- and user-level enhancements. Our detailed evaluation demonstrates the performance advantages of Scepter. In various experiments with different wireless conditions and traffic patterns, Scepter improves the energy consumption of these devices between 15% and 54%.
Pair-wise interactions of polymerization inhibitory contact site mutations of hemoglobin-S.

The linkage of pair-wise interactions of contact site mutations of HbS has been studied using Le Lamentin [His-20 (α)→Gln], Hoshida [Glu-43 (β)→Gln] and α2β 2 T87Q mutations as the prototype of three distinct classes of contact sites of deoxy HbS fiber. Binary mixture experiments established that βA-chain with the Thr-87 (β)→Gln mutation is as potent as the γ-chain of HbF (α2γ2) in inhibiting polymerization. On combining the influence of Le Lamentin mutation with that of β 2 T87Q mutations; the net influence is only partial additivity. On the other hand, in binary mixture studies, combined influence of Hoshida mutation with that of β 2 T87Q mutations is synergistic. Besides, a significant level of synergistic complementation is also seen when the Le Lamentin and Hoshida mutations are combined in HbS (symmetrical tetramers). Le Lamentin and Hoshida mutation introduced into the cis-dimer of the asymmetric hybrid tetramer completely neutralizes the Val-6 (β) dependent polymerization. Accordingly, we propose that combining the perturbation of intra-double strand contact site with that of an inter-double strand contact site exhibit synergy when they are present in two different chains of the αβ dimer. A comparison of the present results with that of the earlier studies suggest that when the two contact site perturbations are from the same sub-unit of the αβ dimer only partial additivity is observed. The map of interaction linkage of the contact site mutations exposes new strategies in the design of novel anti-sickling Hbs for the gene therapy of sickle cell disease.
Wide-area fuzzy logic control of voltage/VAr under simulated online conditions

This work describes the development of a fuzzy logic tool capable of controlling system voltages and VAr resources, as well as processing alarms related to voltage stability. The fuzzy controller monitors voltages and VAr resources and generates appropriate control signals to each VAr source to maintain acceptable system voltage levels. The fuzzy alarm processor generates an individual alarm for each voltage region, and a general alarm signal that indicates the overall system condition. A prototype fuzzy controller/processor has been interfaced with power system simulation software to test its performance under simulated on-line conditions.