cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tension-tension fatigue behavior of a melt-infiltrated SiC/SiC ceramic matrix composites in a combustion environment

Abstract An experimental thermo-mechanical facility was developed with conditions towards that of the combustion environments experienced by the hot section components of a jet engine. Two different melt-infiltrated (MI) ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) were evaluated, one containing Hi-Nicalon Type S fibers and the other Tyranno SA fibers. Specimens considered in this study were subjected to fatigue loading with a stress ratio of 0.1, frequency of 1 Hz and a specimen surface temperature of 1200 ± 20 °C. Results indicate that fatigue life in the combustion environment was an order of magnitude lower compared to the furnace environment and is attributed to the hostile environment present with the burner rig. Post-test microscopy was conducted in order to understand the damage mechanisms and oxidation behavior. Polished longitudinal sections of the burner rig specimens revealed longitudinal cracking which could be attributed to the presence of thermal gradient stress. Electrical resistance (ER) was implemented to monitor the damage.
Reactive Oxygen Species Mediate Nicorandil-induced Metabolic Tolerance to Spinal Cord Injury.

Background Spinal cord injury remains a devastating complication of thoracoabdominal aortic surgery. We previously demonstrated that pretreatment with nicorandil preserved motor function in a murine spinal cord injury model through mitochondrial adenosine triphosphate-sensitive potassium channel activation. We hypothesized that the neuroprotective effect of nicorandil is mediated by downstream generation of reactive oxygen species. Methods Spinal cord injury was induced by 7 minutes of thoracic aortic cross-clamping in adult male C57BL/6 mice. Five groups were evaluated: ischemic control (n = 19); nicorandil 1.0 mg/kg (n = 17); nicorandil 1.0 mg/kg plus N acetyl L-cysteine (NAC [reactive oxygen species scavenger, n = 18)]) 150 mg/kg; NAC 150 mg/kg (n = 13); and sham (n = 10). Limb motor function and the number of viable neurons within the anterior horn of the spinal cord were evaluated. Results Mice in the sham group showed no functional deficits after surgery. Compared with ischemic control, motor function was significantly preserved in the nicorandil pretreatment group at every timepoint after ischemia. In the nicorandil plus NAC group, the motor-preserving effect of nicorandil was completely abolished (P Conclusions Reactive oxygen species generation plays a key role in the nicorandil-induced metabolic tolerance to spinal cord injury. Manipulation of mitochondrial adenosine triphosphate-sensitive potassium channels may lead to improvement in preventing spinal cord injury after thoracoabdominal aortic interventions.
Dual Myelomeningoceles in Twins: Case Report, Review, and Insights for Etiology.

Introduction Despite folate supplementation, neural tube defects (NTDs) still occur in 0.5-1.0/1,000 pregnancies, with 30-50% not preventable with folate. Twinning has increased due to artificial fertilization and in itself predisposes to NTDs at a rate of 1.6/1,000. The contributions of genetic and environmental factors to myelomeningocele development remain poorly understood. Expression patterns of congenital pathologies in twins can sometimes provide etiological insight. Concordance of NTDs in twins is 0.03/1,000, with dual myelomeningocele reported in only 23 pairs, only one of which survived. We present the 24th pair, the 1st to maintain lower extremity motor function. We review all prior cases and discuss implications of twin concordance on the interplay of genetic and environmental influences. Case Report and Review: A new case of female monozygotic twins born to a well-nourished 24-year-old female is reported with details of perioperative care. Prenatal ultrasound showed L3-S4 and L5-S4 myelomeningoceles, Chiari II malformations, and ventriculomegaly. Copy number microarray was unrevealing. Each underwent uncomplicated repair on day of life 1, and ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement on days of life 10 and 16. Both had movement in the legs upon 6-week follow-up. All prior reported cases of concordant twin myelomeningoceles were abstracted and analyzed, revealing persistence of occurrence despite folate supplementation and a majority occurring in dizygotic pairs. The literature is also reviewed to summarize current knowledge of myelomeningocele pathophysiology as it relates to genetic and environmental influences. Discussion Meticulous surgical and perioperative care allowed for early positive outcomes in each twin. However, etiopathogenesis remains elusive. In general, only of a minority of cases have underlying genetic lesions or clear environmental triggers. Concordance in monozygotic twins argues for a strong genetic influence; yet, literature review reveals a higher rate of concordant dizygotic twins. This, along with the observation of differing resultant phenotypes in monozygotic twins as seen in this case, prompts further investigation into nonfolate environmental influences. While efforts in genetic investigation should continue, the role of teratogens and exposures should not be minimized in research efforts, public health, and family counseling. Clinical genetic testing remains of limited utility in the majority of patients until more is known.
Particle-Scale Reduction Analysis of CuFeMnO4 with Hydrogen for Chemical Looping Combustion

In this work, CuFeMnO4 (copper iron manganese oxide) oxygen carrier was characterized using differential scanning calorimetry/thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), in situ X-ray diffraction, and scanni...
A Tale of Two Friends: The Potential Conflict Between Competition Law and the Geo-Blocking Regulation

Ever since the adoption of the Digital Single Market Strategy in 2015, and in response to the Commission’s findings in its E-commerce Sector Inquiry of 2015, the concerns about the restrictions on online trade that persist in the digital market have increased. Above all, geo-blocking practices regarding not only goods and services, but also digital content (such as movies, music, eBooks, or videogames) have become one of the main barriers to the achievement of a European Digital Single Market. Over the past 5 years, the market has witnessed a series of developments towards the increase in cross-border availability of goods, services and digital content through the adoption of different legislative instruments at EU level. Among these instruments, the Geoblocking Regulation represents the most important one. However, although ambitious from its outset, this piece of legislation has ended having quite a limited scope and impact on the Internal Market, being at odds with some fields of EU law, in particular with EU competition law. The enforcement of EU competition law rules in certain recent cases has shown that its relationship with the Geo-blocking Regulation is not entirely clear. However, the revision of the content of the Regulation in March 2020 should not be overlooked. The need for a sound legal regime against territorial restrictions on online trade should be a priority for the Commission during such revision, making the necessary changes to certain provisions of the legal text in order for it to truly complement the already existing legal acquis in the field of competition law.
Metformin generates profound alterations in systemic and tumor immunity with associated antitumor effects

Background Metformin is a commonly used antidiabetic medication which has demonstrated promise as an anticancer agent alone and in combination with conventional treatment regimens. There is increasing evidence that metformin can also generate immunomodulatory effects in solid tumors and is currently being investigated as an adjunct to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). We hypothesized that metformin would generate a shift in immunity unfavorable to tumor growth and tested this hypothesis in a preclinical model of head and neck cancer. Methods Using a syngeneic mouse model of human papillomavirus-associated head and neck cancer (mEER/MTEC), we tested the impact of metformin on systemic and local immunity and tumor growth velocity. We compared the effects of acute and chronic treatment regimens on immunocyte presence and activation using a combination of flow cytometry and targeted transcriptomic analysis. Results Acute metformin exposure generated measurable shifts in systemic myeloid and T-cell populations in non-tumor-bearing mice and decreased myeloid derived suppressor cell (MDSC) levels in tumor draining lymph nodes of tumor-bearing mice. Although metformin decreased regulatory T-cell (T-reg) and MDSC levels and increased CD8+ levels in murine tumors when combined with ICIs, acute metformin exposure was insufficient to generate substantial antitumor activity. Conversely, long-term metformin treatment significantly reduced tumor growth velocity, increased the CD8+/T-reg ratio, increased tumor infiltrating lymphocyte levels and upregulated component genes of the previously validated T-cell inflamed expression profile. Conclusions Metformin generates complex systemic and local immune effects which vary as a function of treatment duration. Combinatorial strategies with ICIs must take into account both the complexity and variability of these effects in order to generate maximal antitumor activity in future clinical trials.
Assessing organizational capacity for diffusion: A school-based social network analysis case study

Abstract The purposeful design of social networks is increasingly recognized as a fundamental organizational improvement strategy. In the PK-12 education sector, school-based teacher collaboration is the primary vehicle through which educators are able to gain access to essential social capital, and through which leaders promulgate diffusion of innovation and continuous organizational learning. In partnership with school administrators, the authors undertook an evaluation to examine the size, structure, and composition of school-based networks. Social network analysis (SNA) was used to measure and visualize connections (or lack thereof) of ties between teams and between educators. Isolate and disconnected network actors were revealed through visual inspection of the sociograms. Administrators used findings to reconfigure team membership to enhance teacher ability to give and receive support and collaboratively problem-solve, and to ensure greater capacity for diffusion of instructional innovation and organizational learning. This paper contributes to the field’s understanding of how evaluators and organizational leaders can use SNA to measure, visualize, and more purposefully design effective patterns of connection between people through which professional knowledge, support, and innovation will travel.
Ultrastructural studies of a visna-like syncytia-producing virus from cattle with lymphocytosis.

Abstract A virus structurally similar to viruses associated with maedi, progressive pneumonia, and visna of sheep has been isolated from buffy coat cells of cattle with chronic lymphocytosis. Electron microscope studies revealed three variants of the virion: (i) an intracytoplasmic form 98 to 116 nm in diameter when occurring in a nonlaminated form, (ii) a budding form 120 to 130 nm in diameter, and (iii) an extracellular form 80 to 130 nm in diameter and containing a 30 to 43 nm eccentrically located electron-dense core.
Faculty Learning Community (FLC) on Student Leadership: Applying Student Voices to Leadership Development

While college student leadership is well studied, the faculty role in developing student leaders is an area that is underexplored. Twenty students joined eleven members of a faculty learning community (FLC) in a mid-sized college to discuss their perspectives on student leadership. The FLC members/researchers used semi-structured focus group interviews and a phenomenological approach to identify traits of student leaders and to explore opportunities colleges can offer to promote students’ growth as leaders. Using thematic analysis, this study discusses the ways colleges can use FLCs as a platform to facilitate student leadership effectively.
Controls on groundwater flow in the Bengal Basin of India and Bangladesh: regional modeling analysis

Groundwater for domestic and irrigation purposes is produced primarily from shallow parts of the Bengal Basin aquifer system (India and Bangladesh), which contains high concentrations of dissolved arsenic (exceeding worldwide drinking water standards), though deeper groundwater is generally low in arsenic. An essential first step for determining sustainable management of the deep groundwater resource is identification of hydrogeologic controls on flow and quantification of basin-scale groundwater flow patterns. Results from groundwater modeling, in which the Bengal Basin aquifer system is represented as a single aquifer with higher horizontal than vertical hydraulic conductivity, indicate that this anisotropy is the primary hydrogeologic control on the natural flowpath lengths. Despite extremely low hydraulic gradients due to minimal topographic relief, anisotropy implies large-scale (tens to hundreds of kilometers) flow at depth. Other hydrogeologic factors, including lateral and vertical changes in hydraulic conductivity, have minor effects on overall flow patterns. However, because natural hydraulic gradients are low, the impact of pumping on groundwater flow is overwhelming; modeling indicates that pumping has substantially changed the shallow groundwater budget and flowpaths from predevelopment conditions.
Random Tours in the Traveling Salesman Problem: Analysis and Application

Random solutions to the traveling salesman problem (TSP) exhibit statistical regularities across problem instances. These patterns can assist heuristic search for good solutions by providing easy estimates of the length of the optimal tour.
Chapter 8 Lateral Diffusion of Lipids and Proteins

Publisher Summary The chapter discusses a study on lateral diffusion of lipids and proteins. Before a century, Overton began to examine one biologically essential function of the membrane, to serve as a barrier that allows selective transport across the membrane. In the 1970s, biologists began to examine another essential function of the membrane to allow diffusion and reaction within the plane of the membrane. This chapter presents a discussion on the factors that affect the lateral diffusion coefficient D , the effects of heterogeneity on lateral diffusion, and two tools developed in physics to characterize heterogeneous systems, percolation theory and anomalous diffusion. The heterogeneity of cell membranes is an active area of research, and many excellent reviews are available with viewpoints ranging from computational statistical mechanics to detailed biochemical studies of receptors. According to the fluid mosaic model, the membrane is a lipid bilayer, forming a two-dimensional oriented viscous solution of integral proteins in a fluid lipid matrix. The lateral diffusion of membrane components is essential to a variety of physiological processes in cells. The major qualitative modification required in the Singer–Nicolson model is to allow for heterogeneity. Percolation theory and anomalous diffusion are standard tools used in physics to characterize heterogeneity.
Software cannot protect software: an argument for dedicated hardware in security and a categorization of the trustworthiness of information

There are many current classifications and taxonomies relatingto computer security. One missing classification is the Trustworthinessof Information being received by the security system, which wedefine. This new classification along with Timeliness of Detection andSecurity level of the Security System present motivation for hardware-based security solutions. Including hardware is not an automatic solutionto the limitations of software solutions. Advantages are only gained fromhardware through design that ensures at least First-hand Information,dedicated monitors, explicit hardware communication, dedicated storage,and dedicated security processors.
An evaluation of boundary condition specification for a littoral hydrodynamic model

Littoral hydrodynamic models are valuable tools for characterizing near shore waves and currents. There are a number of ways to prescribe boundary conditions for the model. A tide model is used to obtain astronomic boundary conditions, or among other sources, a regional model can provide time series boundary conditions. We investigate the differences imposed by these two types of boundary conditions for 4 model cases—two-and three-dimensional cases at two locations. Furthermore, we investigate how changing the temporal resolution of the time series boundary condition and how varying the horizontal resolution of the regional model affects the model results.
Cerebral Infarction Related to Neck Position in an Adolescent

A 16-year-old boy developed a left occipital lobe infarction after falling asleep with his head extended and rotated to the left. He was found to have an anomalous cerebrovascular system, in which the entire blood supply to the left occipital cortex derived from the right vertebral artery. It has been shown that vertebral artery flow can be compromised by physiologic degrees of extension of the neck and rotation of the head to the opposite side. To our knowledge, this is the only reported case of cerebral cortical infarction due to temporary arterial obstruction of the vertebral artery during physiologic hyperextension of the neck and rotation of the head. All previous cases attributed to this mechanism have been brainstem, cerebellar, or cervical spinal cord involvement with thrombosis of the vessel in question. Anomalies of the cerebrobasilar vascular system may place these individuals in jeopardy during otherwise harmless physical activities.
The Role of Community Assessments, Place, and the Great Recession in the Migration Intentions of Rural Americans

Many rural areas of the United States are experiencing population decline due to out-migration. However, others—especially those places rich in natural amenities and recreational opportunities—are attracting new residents and losing less of their native population. In this article we investigate the predictors of rural Americans' migration intentions by examining how individual-level community assessments, including community attachment and perceptions of community-level problems, shape rural Americans' migration decision making while controlling for individual and place effects. Drawing on survey data from 17,000 residents in 11 different rural areas around the United States, we find that community attachment is a key predictor of rural migration, even during periods of economic recession, and regardless of individual and place characteristics or perceptions of community-level problems. We also find that multiple dimensions of community attachment (e.g., practical, natural, family, community trust) have independent effects on the propensity of rural residents to migrate. Our research contributes to knowledge on migration trends among rural Americans by exploring the complicated reasoning behind why people stay in, or move to, certain rural communities and not others.
Global sensitivity analysis-enhanced surrogate (GSAS) modeling for reliability analysis

An essential issue in surrogate model-based reliability analysis is the selection of training points. Approaches such as efficient global reliability analysis (EGRA) and adaptive Kriging Monte Carlo simulation (AK-MCS) methods have been developed to adaptively select training points that are close to the limit state. Both the learning functions and convergence criteria of selecting training points in EGRA and AK-MCS are defined from the perspective of individual responses at Monte Carlo samples. This causes two problems: (1) some extra training points are selected after the reliability estimate already satisfies the accuracy target; and (2) the selected training points may not be the optimal ones for reliability analysis. This paper proposes a Global Sensitivity Analysis enhanced Surrogate (GSAS) modeling method for reliability analysis. Both the convergence criterion and strategy of selecting new training points are defined from the perspective of reliability estimate instead of individual responses of MCS samples. The new training points are identified according to their contribution to the uncertainty in the reliability estimate based on global sensitivity analysis. The selection of new training points stops when the accuracy of the reliability estimate reaches a specific target. Five examples are used to assess the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method. The results show that the efficiency and accuracy of the proposed method are better than those of EGRA and AK-MCS.
Snow bedforms: A review, new data, and a formation model

Snow bedforms, like sand bedforms, consist of various shapes that form under the action of wind on mobile particles. Throughout a year, they can cover up to 11% of the Earth surface, concentrated toward the poles. These forms impact the local surface energy balance and the distribution of precipitation. Only a few studies have concentrated on their genesis. Their size ranges from 2 cm (ripple marks) to 2.5 m tall (whaleback dunes). We counted a total of seven forms that are widely recognized. Among them sastrugi, an erosional shape, is the most widespread. From laser scans, we compared scaling of snow versus sand barchan morphology. We found that both have proportionally the same footprint, but snow barchans are flatter. The key difference is that snow can sinter, immobilizing the bedform and creating an erodible material. Using a model, we investigated the effect of sintering on snow dune dynamics. We found that sintering limits their size because it progressively hardens the snow and requires an ever-increasing wind speed to maintain snow transport. From the literature and results from this model, we have reclassified snow bedforms based on two parameters: wind speed and snow surface conditions. The new data show that snow dune behavior mirrors that of sand dunes, with merging, calving, and collision. However, isolated snow barchans are rare, with most of the snow surfaces encountered in the field consisting of several superimposed bedforms formed sequentially during multiple weather events. Spatially variable snow properties and geometry can explain qualitatively these widespread compound snow surfaces.
Overcoming Methodological Challenges in International and Comparative Criminology: Guest Editor's Introduction

(2009). Overcoming Methodological Challenges in International and Comparative Criminology: Guest Editor's Introduction. International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice: Vol. 33, No. 2, pp. 167-170.
Soybean varietal response and yield loss caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum

ABSTRACT Soybean Sclerotinia stem rot, caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, has recently emerged from being a minor problem in areas where soybeans of maturity groups 0 to I are grown to a significa...
Inflammation accelerates atherosclerotic processes in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS)

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is an often underestimated sleep disorder that has been associated with cardiovascular disease. OSAS is characterized by cycles of apnea and/or hypopnea during sleep caused by the collapse of the upper airways. Intermittent hypoxia deriving from the cycles of apnea/arousals (to retrieve the ventilation) plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of the disease. Obesity is the most frequent predisposing condition of OSAS. Recent evidence suggests that OSAS could be considered as a pro-atherosclerotic disease, independently of visceral fat amount. Oxidative stress, cardiovascular inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and metabolic abnormalities in OSAS could accelerate atherogenesis. The present review is focused on the possible pathophysiological mediators which could favor atherosclerosis in OSAS.
ANT-POLLINATION OF THE GRANITE OUTCROP ENDEMIC DIAMORPHA SMALLII (CRASSULACEAE)

Formica schaufussi, a medium-sized ant common throughout the Piedmont and Coastal Plain of the southeastern United States, has been observed in association with Diamorpha smallii, a self-incompatible annual endemic to granite outcrops in the Southeast, over a 6-yr period. Observations of ants collected on the flowers show large numbers of the sticky pollen grains adhering to hairs and indentations primarily on the thoraces of the ants. Though small native bees and flies are frequent and sometimes effective pollinators, it is highly unlikely that the monotypic genus Diamorpha coevolved with the introduced honeybee, as has been suggested. Characteristics indicative of an "ant-pollination syndrome" include occurrence in hot, dry habitats, a high density of very small plants bearing overlapping inflorescences at a uniform height, and low seed number, pollen volume, and nectar quantity.
No-slip boundary condition switches to partial slip when fluid contains surfactant

Physisorbed surfactant can change the hydrodynamic boundary condition of oil flow from “stick” to “partial slip”, provided that the shear stress on the wall exceeds a threshold level that decreases with increasing surface coverage of surfactant. To demonstrate this, Newtonian alkane fluids (octane, dodecane, tetradecane) were placed between molecularly smooth surfaces that were either wetting (muscovite mica) or rendered partially wetted by adsorption of surfactant (0.2 or 0.1 wt % hexadecylamine). The surface spacing was vibrated at spacings so large that the fluid responded as a continuum. The resulting hydrodynamic forces agreed with predictions from the no-slip boundary condition when flow rate, peak velocity normalized by surface spacing, was low but implied partial slip when it exceeded a critical level. In other words, the “slip length” depended on reduced velocity. When the reduced velocity was sufficiently high, a plateau shear stress was observed, ≈1.3 N m-2 for 0.2 wt % hexadecylamine, but also...
Insertion sequence IS2 near the gene for prophage λ excision

In this study we characterize a variant of the λcI857S7 prophage, designated λbi2cI857S7, which carries a DNA insertion. The insertion sequence is IS2, and it resides in the antipolar orientation II just upstream from the gene for prophage excision (xis) at 61.6%λ. This bi2 insertion mutant could prove valuable for studies on possible recombination functions of IS2 DNA and of its effect on the λ integration and excision functions.
Saliva Ontology: An ontology-based framework for a Salivaomics Knowledge Base

The Salivaomics Knowledge Base (SKB) is designed to serve as a computational infrastructure that can permit global exploration and utilization of data and information relevant to salivaomics. SKB is created by aligning (1) the saliva biomarker discovery and validation resources at UCLA with (2) the ontology resources developed by the OBO (Open Biomedical Ontologies) Foundry, including a new Saliva Ontology (SALO). We define the Saliva Ontology (SALO; http://www.skb.ucla.edu/SALO/ ) as a consensus-based controlled vocabulary of terms and relations dedicated to the salivaomics domain and to saliva-related diagnostics following the principles of the OBO (Open Biomedical Ontologies) Foundry. The Saliva Ontology is an ongoing exploratory initiative. The ontology will be used to facilitate salivaomics data retrieval and integration across multiple fields of research together with data analysis and data mining. The ontology will be tested through its ability to serve the annotation ('tagging') of a representative corpus of salivaomics research literature that is to be incorporated into the SKB.
Time resolved emission from intermediate strong coupling states in quinoxaline vapor

A frequency doubled, pulsed dye laser is used to excite electronic emission in quinoxaline vapor. The S11 (Π*-n) vibrationless state (excited in the region of 3693 A) has a collision free lifetime of ≤ 50 nsec; statistical limit intersystem crossing occurs. A distinct two component “fluorescence”, with collision free lifetimes as long as ≈ 40 μsec, follows excitation in the S21(Π*-Π) region (2800-3200 A). An intermediate strong coupling model, with extensive S2-S1 mixing and weaker singlet - triplet coupling, is proposed to explain experimental observations. The fast “fluorescence” component is interpreted in terms of a sequential decay theory of Tramer et al.
Calculation of the vacuum Green's function valid even for high toroidal mode numbers in tokamaks

The present evaluation of the Green's function used for the magnetic scalar potential in vacuum calculations for axisymmetric geometry has been found to be deficient even for moderately high, n, the toroidal mode number. This is relevant to the edge localized peeling-ballooning modes calculated by gato, pest and other mhd stability codes. The deficiency was due to the loss of numerical precision arising from the upward recursion relation used for generating the functions from the values at n=0 from the complete elliptic integrals of the first and second kinds. To ameliorate this, a direct integration of the integral representation of the function is crafted to achieve the necessary high accuracy for moderately high mode numbers, with due consideration to the singular behavior of the integrand involved. At higher mode numbers the loss of numerical precision due to cancellations from the oscillatory behavior of the integrand is further avoided by judiciously deforming the integration contour into the complex plane to obtain a new integral representation for the Green's function. Near machine precision, roughly 12-16 digits, can be achieved by using a combination of these techniques. The relation to the associated Legendre functions, as well as a novel integral representation of these are also described.
Classroom note: Recognizing exponential growth

Two heuristic and three rigorous arguments are given for the fact that functions of the form Cekx , with C an arbitrary constant, are the only solutions of the equation where k is constant. Various of the proofs in this self-contained note could find classroom use in a first-year calculus course, an introductory course on differential equations, a first course on functions of a real variable, or an advanced calculus course.
Expansion of melanoma-specific lymphocytes in alternate gamma chain cytokines: gene expression variances between T cells and T-cell subsets exposed to IL-2 versus IL-7/15

We have previously demonstrated that expansion of activated tumor-sensitized T cells in interleukin (IL)-7/15 results in greater expansion and antitumor activity than expansion in IL-2. We sought to determine whether T cells exposed to IL-2 versus IL-7/15 exhibited distinct gene expression patterns. Lymphocytes were harvested from Pmel-1 mice immunized with B16-GMCSF melanoma cells, activated in vitro, and cultured in IL-2 or IL-7/15 for 1, 3 or 6 days. T cells were harvested and analyzed using microarray, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-QPCR) or sorted into T-cell subsets and analyzed. We found significant differences in gene expression for T cells cultured in IL-2 versus IL-7/15, starting on day 3. This was not a function of subset differentiation; when T cells were divided into subsets, the central memory (T(CM)), effector memory (T(EM)) and effector (T(E)) T cells cultured in the IL-2 more closely resembled each other than the identical phenotypic subset exposed to IL-7/15. Thus, the differences in gene expression induced by culture in IL-2 versus IL-7/15 do not merely reflect differences in the frequency of T(CM) versus T(EM) versus T(E) cells, but rather reflect that the gene expression levels of those T-cell subsets when exposed to different cytokines are fundamentally different.
Hypoalgesia related to elevated resting blood pressure is absent in adolescents and young adults with a history of functional abdominal pain

Elevated resting blood pressure (BP) is hypoalgesic in healthy individuals, but this effect is absent in adults with chronic somatic pain. This study tested whether BP-related hypoalgesia is similarly altered in individuals with a history of chronic visceral pain in childhood. Resting BP was assessed in 94 adolescents and young adults with a known history of childhood functional abdominal pain (FAP) and 55 comparable healthy controls. Responses to an acute heat pain stimulus were then evaluated following exposure to two laboratory stressors. A significant participant type × systolic BP (SBP) interaction (p < .005) revealed that elevated resting SBP was associated with significantly higher heat pain threshold (p < .001) in healthy controls, but was unrelated to pain threshold in the FAP group. A similar pattern was observed for heat pain tolerance, with elevated SBP linked to significantly higher pain tolerance (p < .05) in healthy controls, but unrelated to tolerance in the FAP group. Dysfunction in BP-related hypoalgesia associated with FAP was evident regardless of whether childhood FAP had resolved or still persisted at the time of laboratory testing. Subgroup analyses indicated that BP-related hypoalgesia (in healthy controls) and FAP-linked absence of this hypoalgesia was observed only among females. Result suggest that childhood visceral chronic pain may be associated with relatively long-lasting dysfunction in overlapping systems modulating pain and BP that persists even after FAP resolves. Potential implications for later hypertension risk are discussed.
Scientists Examine Challenges and Lessons From Japan's Earthquake and Tsunami

[1] A week after the magnitude 9.0 great Tohoku earthquake and the resulting tragic and damaging tsunami of 11 March struck Japan, the ramifications continued, with a series of major aftershocks (as Eos went to press, there had been about 4 dozen with magnitudes greater than 6); the grim search for missing people—the death toll was expected to approximate 10,000; the urgent assistance needed for the more than 400,000 homeless and the 1 million people without water; and the frantic efforts to avert an environmental catastrophe at Japan's damaged Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, about 225 kilometers northeast of Tokyo, where radiation was leaking. The earthquake offshore of Honshu in northeastern Japan (see Figure 1) was a plate boundary rupture along the Japan Trench subduction zone, with the source area of the earthquake estimated at 400–500 kilometers long with a maximum slip of 20 meters, determined through various means including Global Positioning System (GPS) and seismographic data, according to Kenji Satake, professor at the Earthquake Research Institute of the University of Tokyo. In some places the tsunami may have topped 7 meters—the maximum instrumental measurement at many coastal tide gauges—and some parts of the coastline may have been inundated more than 5 kilometers inland, Satake indicated. The International Tsunami Information Center (ITIC) noted that eyewitnesses reported that the highest tsunami waves were 13 meters high. Satake also noted that continuous GPS stations indicate that the coast near Sendai—which is 130 kilometers west of the earthquake and is the largest city in the Tohoku region of Honshu—moved more than 4 meters horizontally and subsided about 0.8 meter.
Fermion-meron interactions in Minkowski space-time

Abstract The interaction between massless isospinor fermions and a class of regular (classical) Yang-Mills fields in Minkowski space-time is analyzed. For the case in which the potential corresponds to the meron field of DeAlfaro, Fubini and Furlan the resulting Dirac equations are solved in general. Some properties of the general solution and the ensuing physical picture are briefly discussed.
Reduction of pathogen indicator organisms in dairy wastewater using an ecological treatment system.

Ecological treatment systems can provide a sustainable, plant-based alternative to traditional wastewater treatment. One factor essential to the success of these systems is ensuring their ability to reduce coliform concentrations in wastewater. Wastewater is the primary sourceoffecal contamination in aquatic ecosystems, containing total and fecal coliforms on the order of l0 8 -10 10 and 10 7 -10 9 CPU L -1 , respectively. This study assessed the ability of an ecological treatment system to reduce concentrations of total coliforms and Escherichia coli from dairy wastewater. Low strength wastewater was pumped into the system during July of 2005 and high strength in September 2005. Wastewater passes through a series of anaerobic, aerobic, and clarifier reactors and wetland cells before exiting the system. Regardless of wastewater strength, average total coliform and £ coli concentrations were consistently reduced by at least 99% from influent to effluent, with the majority of the reduction (76%) occurring in the first two reactors. Relationships between internal concentrations of solids and coliforms indicated that increased reduction of solids may further reduce coliform concentrations. Although U.S. Environmental Protection Agency discharge requirements for E. colt were not always met, the substantial reductions achieved d00 indicate that ecological treatment systems have the potential to successfully reduce coliforms in wastewater to meet discharge limits. The results from this study will be used to guide design and management of future ecological treatment systems, so that larger and more consistent coliform reductions can be achieved.
Effect of a previous pregnancy on vascular function in endothelial nitric oxide synthase 3 knockout mice.

Objective Nitric oxide deficiency has been implicated in adverse pregnancy outcomes. Mice that lack endothelial nitric oxide synthase (NOS3) have abnormal in vitro vascular reactivity. Our objective was to assess the effect of a previous pregnancy on the abnormal vascular function of NOS3 knockout mice. Study Design Carotid arteries from pregnant NOS3 knockout (NOS3 −/−KO ) and wild-type control mice (NOS3 +/+WT ) from first and second pregnancy were obtained for in vitro vascular reactivity studies. Vascular responses to cumulative concentrations of the vasoconstrictors phenylephrine, serotonin, and thromboxane and the vasorelaxants acetylcholine, sodium nitroprusside, and isoproterenol were determined. Results In the first pregnancy, contractile responses were exaggerated in the knockout animals, compared with the wild-type animals. However, the second pregnancy in knockout animals was associated with normalization of responses to phenylephrine and serotonin and increased responses to the endothelium-independent relaxants. Conclusion The vascular function of NOS3 knockout mice improves with subsequent pregnancy becoming comparable to wild-type animals.
Improving parallel performance of large-scale watershed simulations

Abstract A comprehensive, physics-based watershed model with multispatial domains and multitemporal scales has been developed and used. This paper discusses interfacing the watershed model with PETSc and evaluating the model performance for a variety of PETSc preconditioners. Both wall-clock time and scalability are compared based on performance on the Cray XT4 machine, along with tests to verify that all solutions are producing accurate results. The findings conclude that the PETSc Conjugate Gradient solver and preconditioners outperform the simple Conjugate Gradient solver and Jacobi preconditioner originally used by the watershed model. Tests show that the HypreBoomeramg preconditioner provides the most significant speedup for the watershed model.
Concentric tube vacuum chamber for high magnetic field, high-pressure ionization in a fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer

A new differential pumping design for external source Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry is described. A network of concentric tubes of increasing diameter terminates at a series of conductance limits across which a pressure from atmosphere to low-10−8 torr is achieved. This design permits high-pressure sources to be positioned within the solenoidal superconducting magnet less than 20 cm from the analyzer trapped ion cell. Ionization at high magnetic field offers the advantage of radial ion confinement and consequently delivers enhanced ion current to the trapped ion cell. Ion injection utilizing this vacuum chamber design is simpler than previously reported serial pumping stage designs because elaborate focusing optics to overcome the magnetic mirror effect are unnecessary. Two probe-mounted atmospheric pressure sources are described as evidence of the general applicability of the concentric tube vacuum chamber. An electrospray source that delivers several hundred picoamperes of ion current to the cell yields high-sensitivity spectra of proteins beyond 100 kDa. Improved pumping compared with a prototype concentric tube network configuration now permits mass resolution in excess of 20,000 for the [M + 4H]4+ ion of melittin. The resolution is sufficient to distinguish isotope peaks within a single charge state. A probe-mounted, pulsed-laser ablation source that permits cluster formation in the strong magnetic field is also demonstrated.
A novel hydrogen rich interfacial layer to downscale high-K dielectrics

High temperature RTO (Rapid Thermal Oxidation) process can get good quality but growth rate was too fast to get a controllable ultra-thin SiO 2 as interfacial layer (IL) for high-K gate dielectrics application. In this paper, we investigated the physical and electrical properties of IL film obtained by different oxidation gas ratio, temperature, pressure. We found high temperature (>1080C) and hydrogen rich environment perform ultra-thin optical thickness (4A) while sustaining high quality characteristics. In accordance with Le Chatelier's principle, high hydrogen concentration drive SiO 2 decomposed to SiO gas. Based on this method, we can demonstrate good quality IL and simultaneously optical thickness can be downscaled to achieve superior electrical performance. Hydrogen rich and high temperature SiO 2 adding wet clean process with Hafnium-based high-K dielectrics demonstrate best compromising EOT 10A as well as 30% gate leakage reduction among the other condition.
Cytochrome P450-dependent metabolism of trichloroethylene: interindividual differences in humans

Trichloroethylene (TRI) is an industrial solvent with a history of use in anesthesia, and is a common groundwater contaminant. Cytochrome P450 (CYP)-dependent metabolism of TRI produces chloral hydrate (CH) and is rate limiting in the ultimate production of trichloro- and/or dichloroacetic acid from TRI. Exposure of rodents to TRI results in lung and liver tumors (mice) and nephrotoxicity (rats). The toxicity is exacerbated by pretreatment of mice with CYP inducers. We report significant variability in TRI metabolism in a sample of 23 human hepatic microsomal samples and demonstrate the dependence of TRI metabolism on CYP2E1. K(m) values in this limited sample population are not normally distributed. We have correlated microsomal CH formation with the activity toward routine CYP2E1 substrates and with immunologically detectable CYP2E1 protein. Further, TRI metabolism in microsomes from lymphoblastoid cell lines expressing CYP2E1, CYP1A1, CYP1A2, or CYP3A4 indicated minimal involvement of the latter forms, with CYP2E1 catalyzing more than 60% of total microsomal TRI metabolism. These results indicate that humans are not uniform in their capacity for CYP-dependent metabolism of TRI and increased CYP2E1 activity may increase susceptibility to TRI-induced toxicity in the human.
Electrochemically derived gradients of the extracellular matrix protein fibronectin on gold

Surface composition gradients of extracellular matrix proteins show great promise as tools in understanding cellular adhesion and motility. The formation of a surface coverage gradient of the protein fibronectin (FN) is described. FN is covalently bound to a counterpropagating two-component gradient formed from thiols with carboxylic acid and hydroxyl terminal functional groups using carbodiimide coupling chemistry. Areas of the surface with initial −COOH termination react with amine groups on the FN, while protein adsorption is resisted on the −OH terminated regions. The −COOH/−OH gradient is generated by applying a linear potential profile to a thin Au gold film on which an 11-mercaptoundecanol (MUD) monolayer is present. A gradient in surface coverage of MUD results, which is then backfilled with 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid (MUA). The −COOH/−OH gradient is characterized by tagging with 200 nm diameter, fluorescently doped, amine-modified nanospheres using the same carbodiimide coupling chemistry and ima...
Nonlocal continuum electrostatic theory predicts surprisingly small energetic penalties for charge burial in proteins.

We study the energetics of burying charges, ion pairs, and ionizable groups in a simple protein model using nonlocal continuum electrostatics. Our primary finding is that the nonlocal response leads to markedly reduced solvent screening, comparable to the use of application-specific protein dielectric constants. Employing the same parameters as used in other nonlocal studies, we find that for a sphere of radius 13.4 A containing a single +1e charge, the nonlocal solvation free energy varies less than 18 kcal/mol as the charge moves from the surface to the center, whereas the difference in the local Poisson model is ∼35 kcal/mol. Because an ion pair (salt bridge) generates a comparatively more rapidly varying Coulomb potential, energetics for salt bridges are even more significantly reduced in the nonlocal model. By varying the central parameter in nonlocal theory, which is an effective length scale associated with correlations between solvent molecules, nonlocal-model energetics can be varied from the sta...
An Experimentally Verified NOx Prediction Algorithm Incorporating the Effects of Steam Injection

A Perfectly Stirred Reactor model, kinetic rate data, and equilibrium adiabatic flame temperatures have been incorporated into a closed form NO /SUB x/ prediction algorithm. The algorithm accounts for combustor inlet parameters and steam injection. Combining this model with the operating map for the gas turbine allows prediction of NO /SUB x/ with variation in parameters such as inlet guide vane angle, ambient temperature, and load. If the actual values of the model input variables are measured, real time prediction of NO /SUB x/ emissions may be generated using a microcomputer. This signal may then be used as an input to NO /SUB x/ abatement systems such as Selective Catalytic Reduction. The semitheoretical technique is based upon the extended Zeldovich chain reaction kinetics for the production of NO /SUB x/ in the post-flame zone. The temperature and concentration of major product species in the post-flame zone are taken to be those appropriate to equilibrium. Steam injection and inlet effects enter the model through their influence on the abiabatic equilibrium flame temperature. Mixing effects are accounted for empirically.
The Visual Turn in Political Anthropology and the Mediation of Political Practice in Contemporary India

Attention to the visual within the political anthropology of India has focused almost exclusively on spectacle and the excessively visible. This paper examines the question of visibility by interrogating the conditions that enable collective agendas to be seen as political, and advocates closer attention to the role of the state in these processes of recognition. In doing so, it emphasises shifts in the visual aspects of communicative networks and uses specific examples of mass protest and blockage agitation to trace longer histories of practice, expanding the domains of both the visual and the political available as objects of scholarly attention.