cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The F Plasmid

The discovery of conjugation, although important in its own right, was also significant because it revealed the existence of an unexpected genetic element, the F plasmid. This plasmid, which is the best studied and therefore an excellent example of this interesting group of DNA molecules, will be the subject of this chapter. There are, however, many other types of plasmids which have been discovered, and a representative sample of them will be considered in Chapter 11.
Endoresectiopn of uveal melanoma without radiotherapy

Summary Endoresection of choroidal melanoma without neoadjuvant radiotherapy is controversial because of concerns about iatrogenic local tumor seeding and systemic metastases. However, several authors have reported that local tumor recurrence and seeding are rare. Further, there is no evidence that metastatic disease is increased following endoresection. Recent insights into uveal melanomas indicates that metastasis depends on the genetic tumor profile and not on surgical interventions. It would seem, therefore, that the large majority of patients experiencing ocular morbidity from neoadjuvant radiotherapy are doing so unnecessarily. This problem persists because those favoring neoadjuvant radiotherapy are skeptical of the results published by authors who hold a different view from their own. There is scope for randomized clinical trials of endoresection with and without neoadjuvant radiotherapy. If the required equipoise for such trials is lacking, an ethical way should be found to allow independent inspectors to review original patient case notes and verify all the scientific claims that neoadjuvant radiotherapy is unnecessary.
Prediction of cardiovascular risk factors from retinal fundus photographs via deep learning

Traditionally, medical discoveries are made by observing associations, making hypotheses from them and then designing and running experiments to test the hypotheses. However, with medical images, observing and quantifying associations can often be difficult because of the wide variety of features, patterns, colours, values and shapes that are present in real data. Here, we show that deep learning can extract new knowledge from retinal fundus images. Using deep-learning models trained on data from 284,335 patients and validated on two independent datasets of 12,026 and 999 patients, we predicted cardiovascular risk factors not previously thought to be present or quantifiable in retinal images, such as age (mean absolute error within 3.26 years), gender (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) = 0.97), smoking status (AUC = 0.71), systolic blood pressure (mean absolute error within 11.23 mmHg) and major adverse cardiac events (AUC = 0.70). We also show that the trained deep-learning models used anatomical features, such as the optic disc or blood vessels, to generate each prediction.
How Does a Computer Subtract

A variety of subtraction algorithms have been used in schools at other times and in other countries (Pearson 1986). The decomposition method illustrated in figure 1 has been in general use in North American classrooms since the research of Brownell, Moser, and others found it to be more effective than competing methods (Brownell 1947; Brownell and Moser 1949). As late as 1975 Suydam and Weaver cited this research in urging teachers to emphasize the decomposition, or renaming, technique (Suydam and Weaver 1975). Earlier, the equaladdends method, sometimes referred to as the Austrian method, was a popular competitor (see fig. 2). Recently, low-stress algorithms, which are variations of the equal-addends method, have been recommended (see fig. 3). The growth of computer technology has focused attention on yet another subtraction method subtraction by addition of complements. During the early part of the twentieth century complement subtraction was taught as
A phylogeny of kingfishers reveals an Indomalayan origin and elevated rates of diversification on oceanic islands

Aim Kingfishers are the most species-rich family in the avian order, Coraciiformes. Their modern distribution is largely pantropical; however, global species diversity is unevenly distributed. For example, 19 of the 114 kingfisher species occur in New Guinea, whereas only six species occur in the entire New World. This disparity in diversity suggests regions with high species richness could represent the ancestral range of the family. Furthermore, some clades of kingfishers (Ceyx, Todiramphus) are thought to be the product of rapid insular radiations. Here, we investigated the biogeographical history and speciation dynamics of the Alcedinidae using a fully sampled molecular phylogeny. Location Global. Taxon Kingfishers (Aves: Coraciiformes: Alcedinidae). Methods We inferred a time-calibrated, species-level phylogeny of kingfishers from DNA sequences. Our data set comprised up to five Sanger-sequenced gene regions for all species (one mitochondrial, one nuclear exon and three nuclear introns), plus genus-level sampling of thousands of ultraconserved elements. We estimated ancestral ranges of kingfishers and explored macroevolutionary rate shifts and diversification rates across the phylogeny. Results We recovered a well-supported phylogeny of kingfishers that includes 34 species whose phylogenetic relationships were not previously known. The pygmy-kingfishers (subfamily Alcedininae) sit on a long branch, sister to all other kingfishers: subfamilies Cerylinae and Halcyoninae. Crown-group kingfishers originated in the Indomalayan region approximately 27 Ma with subsequent colonizations into Africa (six times), the New World (twice) and Australasia (representing several major radiations). Main conclusions Oceanic islands of Wallacea, the Philippines and Oceania promoted multiple, independent radiations in three species-rich genera: Ceyx, Actenoides and Todiramphus. In particular, Todiramphus showed patterns consistent with explosive and recent diversification relative to the background speciation rate of non-Todiramphus kingfishers, which we attribute to recent colonization of the vast archipelagos of Wallacea and the Pacific.
A 12 bit 600 kS/s digitally self-calibrated pipeline algorithmic ADC

This paper describes an algorithmic A/D converter which employs digital error correction and self-calibration. In this paper, an approach is described that employs a nominal radix 2, 1.5 bit/stage conversion algorithm. The technique discussed in this paper can be applied to any cyclic or pipelined algorithmic converter, does not require extra clock cycles during the conversion, and no additional analog circuitry is needed. The analog circuit is extremely simple, using one operational amplifier and two latches per stage.
Gamification of employee training and development

Gamification has become increasingly common in employee training. Simultaneously, our scientific understanding of gamified learning has grown. However, there are few resources that provide specific recommendations for science-based gamification in employee training to address the research–practice gap. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to describe our current scientific understanding of gamification as it can be used to realistically improve web-based employee training. First, because gamification is commonly misunderstood, we explain what gamification is in the context of training. Second, because gamification is commonly misapplied, research on the effectiveness of gamified learning as related to training design is reviewed. Finally, to provide a clear roadmap for training design, we describe a formal process for gamifying web-based training in a scientifically supported way.
Evolution of a Strategy for the Enantioselective Total Synthesis of (+)-Psiguadial B

(+)-Psiguadial B is a diformyl phloroglucinol meroterpenoid that exhibits antiproliferative activity against the HepG2 human hepatoma cancer cell line. This full account details the evolution of a strategy that culminated in the first enantioselective total synthesis of (+)-psiguadial B. A key feature of the synthesis is the construction of the trans-cyclobutane motif by a Wolff rearrangement with in situ catalytic, asymmetric trapping of the ketene. An investigation of the substrate scope of this method to prepare enantioenriched 8-aminoquinolinamides is disclosed. Three routes toward (+)-psiguadial B were evaluated that featured the following key steps: (1) an ortho-quinone methide hetero-Diels–Alder cycloaddition to prepare the chroman framework, (2) a Prins cyclization to form the bridging bicyclo[4.3.1]decane system, and (3) a modified Norrish–Yang cyclization to generate the chroman. Ultimately, the successful strategy employed a ring-closing metathesis to form the seven-membered ring and an intramo...
“Story Hour Psychiatry”—a Fiction Seminar for Residents

A description is presented of a monthly short story seminar offered as an elective part of a psychiatry residency curriculum. The seminar’s discussions of famous works of fiction give residents, at all levels of training, an informal, nonstressful atmosphere in which to test and develop their growing skills of psychological perception. In addition they are introduced to classic literature as a great source of wisdom about human nature and as a source of aesthetic pleasure.
The Flux of Nature: Changing Worldviews and Inclusive Concepts

The interaction of ecology and the study and application of environmental ethics can be facilitated by understanding the status of the fundamental background assumptions of the science. The classical paradigm of ecology, now superseded, focused on organisms and framed the science in a primarily equilibrium perspective. Steady state, homeostasis, and stability were hallmarks of ecological systems under this worldview. With the benefit of hindsight, the specific assumptions of the equilibrium paradigm are seen to be that (1) ecological systems are materially closed; (2) they are self-regulating; (3) an equilibrium state exists for each system; (4) disturbance is rare or negligible; (5) recovery from any disturbance that does occur is deterministic, and leads to the expected equilibrium state; and (6) humans are external to ecological systems and are a negative force. As the organismal viewpoint gave way to more inclusive theories, such as the ecosystem and landscape ecology, and data sets extended for longer periods of time, it became clear that the equilibrium assumptions did not always hold. The shift in worldview occasioned by new data as well as by conceptual flexibility, can be summarized by a new inclusive or non-equilibrium paradigm. It accepts (1) the material openness of ecological systems; (2) the role of external regulation; (3) the absence or transience of equilibrium states; (4) the commonness and significance of natural and human-caused disturbances; (5) the multiple pathways of system dynamics, and (6) the pervasive involvement of human actors, both local and distant, in ecosystems. Ecological concepts engage technical definitions, technical models, and metaphorical implications that are relevant to their connections with ethics.
Stroke: Clinical Application of Perfusion and Diffusion

Multimodal computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) neuroimaging techniques represent powerful tools that allow management decisions to be informed by precise characterization of individual pathophysiologic processes. They carry the prospect and hope of expanding the time window for acute stroke treatment and reaching a much higher number of acute stroke patients. Multimodal imaging allows to identify areas of hemorrhage or infarction and also areas of tissue viability or penumbra. The goal of this chapter is to discuss stroke imaging technologies. Particularly, how to interpret imaging findings, the advantages and disadvantages, as well as literature about the efficacy of each imaging technology will be addressed. Also, the latest trials on stroke intervention will be reviewed.
Ella Fitzgerald 1917–1996

Ella Jane Fitzgerald (1917–1996) was an eponymous female jazz and pop singer of the twentieth century. She epitomized the female singer throughout her long career, traveling the world with many bands, including her own, and winning 14 Grammies, producing over 5500 singles and 250 albums for several recording companies including Decca, Columbia, Verve/MGM, and Pablo. She was married twice, adopted her nephew, and performed unceasingly from 1935 to 1994.
Characterizing an Energy Dispersive Spectrometer on an Analytical Electron Microscope

X-ray microanalysis in the analytical electron microscope is invariably performed with a Si(Li) or an intrinsic Ge (IG) energy dispersive spectrometer. Apart from the earliest electron microscope micro-analyzer instruments in the 1960s, which used a crystal or wavelength dispersive spectrometer, all commercial AEMs offer EDS as the only x-ray detector. The reason for this is the limited confines of the stage of a TEM to which the x-ray detector is interfaced when creating an AEM. The narrow polepiece gap of any TEM makes it impossible to get a detector closer to the specimen than about a centimeter. Consequently, the collection angle of the detector is small (typically 0.05–0.15 sr) thus limiting the x-ray counting statistics. Although small, the EDS collection angle is still very much larger than could be provided by a WDS. Since the x-ray count rate in AEMs is very low in the first place, because of the small probe currents and thin specimens, only an EDS can provide statistically meaningful x-ray data.
The Effects of External Excitation on the Reynolds-Averaged Quantities in a Turbulent Wall Jet

The effects of external, two-dimensional excitation on the plane turbulent wall jet were investigated experimentally. Measurements of the streamwise component of velocity were made throughout the flow field for a variety of Reynolds numbers, imposed frequencies, and amplitudes. The present data were always compared to the results generated in the absence of external excitation. Although the bulk of the unexcited flow is self-similar, it depends on the momentum flux at the nozzle and on the viscosity and density of the fluid and not on the width of the nozzle, which was commonly used to reduce the data. These similarity scales were used to check the consistency of the skin friction measurements, which are otherwise determined with considerable difficulty. It was shown that external excitation has no appreciable effect on the rate of spread of the jet or on the decay of its maximum velocity. In fact, the mean velocity distribution did not appear to be altered by the external excitation in any obvious manner. The flow near the surface, however (i.e., for 0 < Y+ < 100), was profoundly different from the unforced flow, indicating a reduction in wall stress exceeding at times 30%. The production of turbulent energy near the surface was also reduced, lowering the intensities of the velocity fluctuations. It was also shown that the inviscid, logarithmic portion of the “law of the wall” cannot be valid in either the forced or the unforced flows, because the Reynolds stress decreases rapidly beyond the distance at which the viscous stress becomes vanishingly small. This casts a doubt on the existence of a “constant stress layer” in the wall jet.
Unraveling Challenges: Rights Statements in Digital Cultural Heritage Collections

Describing copyright for cultural heritage objects in a rights statement can be a complicated undertaking when there is not enough information about the object. Similarly the complexity and misunde...
Evaluating Risk and Processing Integrity Controls over Spreadsheets: An Educational Case

ABSTRACT This case requires students to create a spreadsheet inventory, assess the risk related to each spreadsheet inventoried, and perform internal control testing on the spreadsheet deemed to be...
Prevention of gasoline vapor explosions in portable fuel containers

Abstract Portable Fuel Containers (PFCs) made for consumer use can, under unusual circumstances, develop a flammable atmosphere in the container headspace. In order to prevent an inadvertent ignition from causing flame propagation into this headspace and a subsequent explosion or flame jetting, PFC manufacturers are developing prototype Flame Mitigation Devices (FMDs) for installation in the PFC. A test method is described in this paper to determine if the installed FMD will indeed prevent flame entry into the PFC in a high-challenge flame propagation scenario. The method entails the use of a butane-air mixture ignited in a 5 cm diameter, 12 cm long tube attached to either the container neck or a spout on the container neck. Two concept FMD designs have successfully prevented repeated attempts at flame propagation into the PFC and have also produced encouraging results in tests for fuel flow restriction, duel dispensing nozzle friction, and prolonged fuel exposure. Versions of these tests are currently being promulgated in a draft ASTM standard on PFC FMDs.
Observational constraints on an undiscovered giant planet in our solar system

Abstract Over the last few years, the action of an undiscovered giant planet has been considered in many works to explain the orbital properties of the most distant known objects in our solar system. Despite the great interest in the hypothesized planet, the observational evidence for it still remains in question with some works suggesting it is statistically significant and some works suggesting it is not. We review the current observational evidence for the planet, which consists primarily of an observed orbital alignment of the most distant Trans-Neptunian objects and inner Oort cloud objects. We will discuss observational biases in differing survey types and how they might affect the observed population. We will also discuss how to best detect such a planet and summarize the current state of wide-field observational surveys that are sensitive to the hypothesized planet. Over the next few years, similar surveys have a good chance at discovering the hypothesized and are likely to double the population of distant Trans-Neptunian objects and inner Oort cloud objects, which will provide additional insights into the hypothesized planet scenario.
Surgical management of anterior skull-base malignancies (endoscopic vs. craniofacial resection)

Anterior skull base (ASB) malignancies are rare entities characterized by delayed diagnosis and comprise a variety of distinct histological types. Their treatment involves clinical and surgical management, with the latter encompassing open and, more recently, endoscopic approaches. The craniofacial resection, as an open approach, has revolutionized the treatment of such diseases and is the gold standard, although significant morbidity and facial scars are a shortcoming. Seeking a less invasive alternative, many surgeons have approached these pathologies using the endoscopic endonasal approach, with the theoretical advantage of reduced morbidity and no facial scars. In this manuscript, we aim to review the current state-of-art in the surgical management of the ASB malignancies. As such, indications, limitations and future perspectives of different surgical techniques are discussed.
Clinical and Genetic Risk Prediction of Cognitive Impairment After Blood or Marrow Transplantation for Hematologic Malignancy.

PURPOSEUsing a candidate gene approach, we tested the hypothesis that individual single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and gene-level variants are associated with cognitive impairment in patients ...
Differential Impact of Aging on Cardiovascular Risk in Women Military Service Members.

Background Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is the third leading cause of death in women service members and veterans. This study assessed 10‐year ASCVD risk in women service members ...
Life cycle greenhouse gas emissions and energy use of polylactic acid, bio-derived polyethylene, and fossil-derived polyethylene

Abstract Bioplastics recently have become an attractive, viable, and popular alternative to conventional petroleum-based plastics, with the hope that replacing fossil-derived plastics with renewable alternatives will reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and fossil energy consumption (FEC). The bioplastic industry is encouraging creative designs and enhanced properties such as biodegradability, which is considered a sustainable solution for waste plastic management. However, biodegradability also means that carbon in the product is emitted to the atmosphere as GHG emissions. In this paper, a life cycle analysis (LCA) of biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) and bio-polyethylene (bio-PE) plastics was conducted to understand the environmental effects of these bioplastics from feedstock production to product end-of-life (EOL). In particular, emissions from biodegradability (EOL emissions) are accounted for. The results were compared to those of conventional fossil-based plastics such as high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and low-density polyethylene (LDPE). Results showed that the lowest GHG emissions (−1.0 and 1.7 kg CO2e per kg for bio-PE and PLA with no biodegradation, respectively) and FEC (29 and 46 MJ per kg of bio-PE and PLA, respectively) were achieved with bio-derived plastics, particularly bio-PE plastic. However, despite the benefits of biogenic carbon uptake, when landfill and composting emissions were considered for the PLA pathway, the life cycle emissions of PLA increase significantly, from 16% to 163% depending on the biodegradation condition, compared to the case where there is no degradation in the landfill. This study also contributed to understand the effects on the GHG emissions of biodegradability in landfill and composting scenarios, regional electricity mix, and plastics manufacturing technologies.
A pharmacist’s review of the treatment of systemic light chain amyloidosis:

ObjectiveSystemic light-chain (AL) amyloidosis is an uncommon hematologic plasma cell dyscrasia that is becoming increasingly recognized. Therapeutic agents used in AL amyloidosis overlap with thos...
Quantification of dissolved O2 in bulk aqueous solutions and porous media using NMR relaxometry.

Effects of dissolved paramagnetic oxygen (O2) in water on 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) experiments is evaluated at a 1H Larmor frequency of 2 MHz. Dissolution of O2 into water significantly reduces the 1H transverse relaxation coefficient (T2). For deoxygenated water, T2 is 3388 ms, water at ambient atmospheric conditions (7.4 mg/L O2) exhibits a T2 of 2465 ms, and dissolution of 2710 mg/L O2 further reduces T2 to 36 ms. The results were fit with an empirical model to facilitate prediction of T2 times for bulk water as a function of paramagnetic oxygen concentrations in solution. Dissolved O2 also greatly influences 1H NMR CPMG experiments of confined water in a model system composed of Berea sandstone. For this system, 90 mg/L O2 in H2O enhances T2 relaxation of bulk water such that the relaxation time is comparable to physically confined water in the sandstone pores. Given the sensitivity of NMR T2 coefficients to paramagnetic oxygen, low-field NMR-based characterization of fluid and porous media structure requires control of dissolved oxygen, as geospatial variation in the partial pressure of O2 alone is expected to perturb fluid and pore relaxation times by up to 60 and 36%, respectively.
Unpacking the gestures of chemistry learners: What the hands tell us about correct and incorrect conceptions of stereochemistry.

In this study, adults, who were naive to organic chemistry, drew stereoisomers of molecules and explained their drawings. From these explanations, we identified nine strategies that participants expressed during those explanations. Five of the nine strategies referred to properties of the molecule that were explanatorily irrelevant to solving the problem; the remaining four referred to properties that were explanatorily relevant to the solution. For each problem, we tallied which of the nine strategies were expressed within the explanation for that problem, and determined whether the strategy was expressed in speech only, gesture only, or in both speech and gesture within the explanation. After these explanations, all participants watched the experimenter deliver a two-minute training module on stereoisomers. Following the training, participants repeated the drawing+explanation task on six new problems. The number of relevant strategies that participants expressed in speech (alone or with gesture) before training did not predict their post-training scores. However, the number of relevant strategies participants expressed in gesture-only before training did predict their post-training scores. Conveying relevant information about stereoisomers uniquely in gesture prior to a brief training is thus a good index of who is most likely to learn from the training. We suggest that gesture reveals explanatorily relevant implicit knowledge that reflects (and perhaps even promotes) acquisition of new understanding.
Exploration of Ligand-receptor Binding and Mechanisms for Alginate Reduction and Phenotype Reversion by Mucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Bacteria in general can develop a wide range of phenotypes under different conditions and external stresses. The phenotypes that reside in biofilm, overproduce exopolymers, and show increased motility often exhibit drug-tolerance and drug-persistence. In this work, we describe a class of small molecules that delay and inhibit the overproduction of alginate by a non-swarming mucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa . Among these molecules, selected benzophenone-derived alkyl disaccharides cause the mucoid bacteria to swarm on hydrated soft agar gel and revert the mucoid to non-mucoid phenotype. The sessile (biofilm) and motile (swarming) phenotypes are controlled by opposing signaling pathways with high and low intracellular levels of bis-(3',5')-cyclic diguanosine monophosphate (cdG), respectively. As our molecules control multiple of these phenotypes, we hypothesized and explored a protein receptor, pilin of the pili appendages, that are consistent with controlling these bioactivities and signaling pathways. To test this binding hypothesis, we developed a bacterial motility enabled binding assay that utilizes the interfacial properties of hydrated gels and bacterial motility to conduct label-free ligand-receptor binding studies. The structure activity correlation and the receptor identification reveal a plausible mechanism for reverting mucoid to nonmucoid phenotypes by binding pili appendages with ligands capable of sequestering and neutralizing reactive oxygen species.
High grade neuroendocrine carcinoma of the urinary bladder treated by radical cystectomy: a series of small cell, mixed neuroendocrine and large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma

Summary High grade neuroendocrine carcinomas (HGNEC) treated by cystectomy often carry an original diagnosis of typical urothelial carcinoma (UC). The correct diagnosis of HGNEC is critical in influencing the decision for early chemotherapy, potentially followed by cystectomy. The objective of this study was to characterise the features of HGNEC treated by radical cystectomy. The study consisted of 79 patients with HGNEC including small cell (68 patients), large cell neuroendocrine (LCNEC) (5 patients) and mixed neuroendocrine (mixed-NEC) carcinoma (6 patients) matched with 122 patients with UC, treated at our institution between 1987 and 2014. Morphometric analysis for cell and nuclear size as well as immunophenotyping for neuroendocrine markers and cell-cycle regulators were applied to tissue microarrays. Small cell, LCNEC and mixed-NEC are a morphological spectrum of high grade neuroendocrine carcinoma with overlapping histo-logical features, identical immunophenotype, Ki-67 prolifera-tive rate and patient outcomes. Finally, the nuclear size criteria is misleading as HGNEC, particularly cases of LCNEC and mixed-NEC, may have enlarged nuclei compared to small cell carcinomas and are more prone to be misdiagnosed as UC, thereby preventing appropriate management.
G-protein-coupled inwardly rectifying potassium channels are targets of alcohol action

G-protein-coupled inwardly rectifying potassium channels (GIRKs) are important for regulation of synaptic transmission and neuronal firing rates. Because of their key role in brain function, we asked if these potassium channels are targets of alcohol action. Ethanol enhanced function of cerebellar granule cell GIRKs coupled to GABAB receptors. Enhancement of GIRK function by ethanol was studied in detail using Xenopus oocytes expressing homomeric or heteromeric channels. Function of all GIRK channels was enhanced by intoxicating concentrations of ethanol, but other, related inwardly rectifying potassium channels were not affected. GIRK2/IRK1 chimeras and GIRK2 truncation mutants were used to identify a region of 43 amino acids in the carboxyl (C) terminus that is critical for the action of ethanol on these channels.
Optimization of composite structures by estimation of distribution algorithms

The design of high performance composite laminates, such as those used in aerospace structures, leads to complex combinatorial optimization problems that cannot be addressed by conventional methods. These problems are typically solved by stochastic algorithms, such as evolutionary algorithms. This dissertation proposes a new evolutionary algorithm for composite laminate optimization, named Double-Distribution Optimization Algorithm (DDOA). DDOA belongs to the family of estimation of distributions algorithms (EDA) that build a statistical model of promising regions of the design space based on sets of good points, and use it to guide the search. A generic framework for introducing statistical variable dependencies by making use of the physics of the problem is proposed. The algorithm uses two distributions simultaneously: the marginal distributions of the design variables, complemented by the distribution of auxiliary variables. The combination of the two generates complex distributions at a low computational cost. The dissertation demonstrates the efficiency of DDOA for several laminate optimization problems where the design variables are the fiber angles and the auxiliary variables are the lamination parameters. The results show that its reliability in finding the optima is greater than that of a simple EDA and of a standard genetic algorithm, and that its advantage increases with the problem dimension. A continuous version of the algorithm is presented and applied to a constrained quadratic problem. Finally, a modification of the algorithm incorporating probabilistic and directional search mechanisms is proposed. The algorithm exhibits a faster convergence to the optimum and opens the way for a unified framework for stochastic and directional optimization.
Versatile simulation package for ultrafast pulse propagation and high harmonic generation

A simulation package for 3D pulse propagation and HHG is reported. Our package is capable of emulating pulse propagation for a host of geometries and nonlinear effects, and has been employed to reproduce experimental HHG spectra.
Factor XIIIa-derived peptides inhibit transglutaminase activity. Localization of substrate recognition sites.

Abstract Factor XIIIa is a transglutaminase that catalyzes intermolecular gamma-glutamyl-epsilon-lysyl bonds between fibrin and other proteins involved in hemostasis. We synthesized 25 peptides from various regions of factor XIIIa and studied their effects on cross-linking fibrin, N,N'-dimethylcasein, or fibronectin. We found that two peptides, Asn72-Asp97 (peptide-4) and Asp190-Phe230 (peptide-7), inhibited factor XIIIa cross-linking of these substrates. The other peptides did not inhibit factor XIIIa activity. The inhibition of cross-linking was reversed by excess substrate, indicating that the peptides were interacting with fibrin and not factor XIIIa. The peptides were not pseudosubstrates since they were not cross-linked to fibrin. The peptides did not modify the primary amine binding site as increasing the primary amine concentration did not reverse inhibition. Peptides-4 and -7 also had no effect on exposure of the active site of factor XIIIa and no synergistic inhibitory effects were detected. Peptides-4 and -7 had no effect on factor XIIIa binding to fibrin suggesting that the binding sites and the substrate recognition sites were distinct. Synthetic peptides containing shorter amino acid sequences of peptide-4 were inactive. In contrast, the amino-terminal (Asp190-Lys199, Tyr194-Tyr204) and the carboxyl-terminal (Lys221-Phe230) portions of peptide-7 were 20-60-fold less inhibitory compared to intact peptide-7. Peptides-4 and -7 also inhibited guinea pig liver tissue transglutaminase from cross-linking fibrinogen, N,N'-dimethylcasein, and fibronectin. In conclusion, we have identified two regions outside the active site pocket which are important for substrate recognition in factor XIIIa and tissue transglutaminase.
The Design of Hybrid Fuzzy/Evolutionary Multiobjevtive Optimization Algorithms

In this paper, we develop and demonstrate techniques to design multiobjective optimization algorithms based on hybrid fuzzy system/evolutionary algorithm techniques. The technique is based on an approach where a fuzzy system is used to control the evolutionary algorithm. By viewing the search process as a dynamic process, high performance strategies are developed using controller design techniques. Through the use of indicators aimed at assessing the performance of evolutionary algorithms for multiobjective optimization, we show how to design fuzzy systems for controlling the search behavior. The key contributions of the work reported in this paper are the techniques for quantitatively measuring the performance of population based multiobjective optimization algorithms and techniques for automatically designing optimization algorithms. We demonstrate our techniques on an Integrated Circuit placement task that includes timing and geometrical objectives.
Cobweb versus rational expectations models

Abstract A cobweb model of occupational choice is found to fit the data almost as well as a rational expectations model, even though there are large forecastable changes in demand. Striking differences, however, are revealed when we simulate the two models.
Theory of Transport Processes

This review focuses on the transport of matter and angular momentum in the radiative zones of stellar interiors. The two main causes of such transport are the convective overshooting in the vicinity of convection zones, and the slow motions (meridional circulation and turbulence) due to the rotation of the star. In addition, momentum can be transfered through waves (generated by the motions above) and through magnetic stresses. The characteristics of those processes are examined, with special emphasis on turbulent diffusion.
Making Ideas Happen: Overcoming Obstacles Between Vision & Reality

Making Ideas Happen: Overcoming Obstacles Between Vision & Reality is a book for everyone who has ever been frustrated by watching good ideas die for lack of proper leadership or follow-through. Scott Belsky, founder and CEO of Behance, offers practical steps for project management and inspiring examples of creative people who fostered their dreams into reality. Although it is an engaging and easy read, this book should be studied like a textbook until the concepts become second nature.
Examining English Language Arts Common Core State Standards Instruction through Cultural Historical Activity Theory.

The English Language Arts Common Core State Standards and corresponding assessments brought about many changes for educators, their literacy instruction, and the literacy learning of their students. This study examined the day-to-day literacy instruction of two primary grade teachers during their first year of full CCSS implementation. Engestrӧm’s Third Generation Cultural Historical Activity Theory is utilized as both a theoretical framework and a method for analysis to provide a rich description of the complex environment in which literacy instruction and learning occur. The ELA standards functioned as the primary objects of literacy instruction and literacy learning activities are discussed within the context of the larger cultural framework where the teachers interpret and implement these standards. Findings from this study illuminate the complex and interrelated influences of ELA CCSS, and reveal the power of the individual teacher in constructing the literacy learning opportunities.
Photometric determination of pH with a single standard and calculation by nomogram. Application to human plasma pH.

A method is described for construction of a nomogram, based on the Henderson Hasselbalch equation, with which photometric pH values can be calculated from the absorbance of an indicator in a sample and the absorbance of the indicator in a single standard solution. Thereby the necessity of preparing calibration curves from a series of standard solutions is avoided. The procedure is particularly convenient when the stock solution of the indicator is subject to slow fading, as in the case of phenol red. An application of the procedure to the photometric determination of the pH of human plasma is detailed and the results are compared with those obtained with a glass electrode.
Nitrogen sources and sinks in a wastewater impacted saline aquifer beneath the Florida Keys, USA

Abstract Groundwater wells surrounding a high volume advance treatment wastewater (ATW) disposal well in the Florida Keys were monitored for nitrate, nitrite, and ammonium concentrations over a 14 month period. Nutrient concentrations in the shallow subsurface (9 m) show a bimodal distribution between the low salinity wastewater plume and the ambient brackish to saline groundwaters. High NO 3 − concentrations are found within the ATW plume while the highest NH 4 + concentrations are found in shallow wells outside of the plume. Evidence suggests that the overlying mud layer unique to this study site contributes the bulk of the NH 4 + observed in these wells. NO 3 − concentrations at 9 m wells varied by a factor of four in response to concurrent variations in ATW NO 3 − loads over the coarse of the study. Estimated NO 3 − uptake rates varied from 32 ± 29 to 98 ± 69 and did not directly correlate with ATW NO 3 − loading as we hypothesized. We estimate that 70 ± 34% of the NO 3 − from the treatment plant is removed from solution in the subsurface of the study site. Considerable decreases in NO 3 − concentration and enrichment of 15 NO 3 − was observed in many wells, indicating significant denitrification or anaerobic ammonium oxidation is occurring in the subsurface. Dissolved inorganic nitrogen concentrations, distributions, and 15 N compositions indicate that denitrification is likely the dominant mechanism for N removal in the ATW plume at Key Colony Beach, Florida.
The Role of Grain Boundary Regions in the Localized Corrosion of a Copper-Free 6111-like Aluminum Alloy

Abstract The localized corrosion behavior of a Cu-free 6111-like alloy was studied in solutions with different chloride concentrations. It was found that the alloy was susceptible to pitting and intergranular corrosion (IGC). The IGC attack on the alloy was less conspicuous unless the pits were cross sectioned. The pitting attack propagates via crystallographic tunneling regardless of the applied potential or heat treatment conditions. Scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM)/x-ray microanalysis detected preferential segregation of Mg and Si at some high-angle grain boundaries (GB) and approximately 30-nm-wide Mg- and Si-depleted regions across GB of the alloy. Such findings have experimentally confirmed the assumptions made by others regarding the IGC susceptibility of 6XXX Al alloys, which was based on the noble GB precipitates and/or the preferential segregation of noble elements and adjacent solute-depleted regions. As a result, a link between the GB elemental profiles and the alloy's IGC susc...
Development of the Echinate Pollen Wall in Farfugium japonicum(Compositae:Senecioneae)

Development of the echinate pollen grains inFarfugium (Compositae: Senecioneae) has been studied by a combination of transmission electron microscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy with a freeze fractured method. The inner surface of the callose wall surrounding each microspore does not possess an echinate pattern before primexine deposition begins. The primexine formation coincides with the initiation of spines. The freeze fractured primexine shows probacula which form transverse rods. The developing exine has an inner spongy substructure. The endexine is formed by the accumulation of the electron dense lamellae with white lines after the dissolution of the callose wall. In the present study, it is confirmed that the developmental process of pollen formation revealed in the field emission scanning electron microscope is consistent with the results obtained using the transmission electron microscope.
Ultra Low Tin Quaternary Alloys PWR Performance—Impact of Tin Content on Corrosion Resistance, Irradiation Growth, and Mechanical Properties

The performance of Zr1NbSnFe alloys within the range of Sn 0–0.65 % and Fe 0.03–0.35 % were studied through irradiation of fuel rods in two pressurized water reactors (PWRs) operating with significantly different fuel management strategies. Material test rod irradiations have also been launched in order to determine irradiation growth and corrosion behaviour on tubes irradiated under conditions representative of guide tubes. Results show that the increase in tin content up to 0.3 % does not significantly change the corrosion resistance nor the hydrogen pick-up compared to Zr1Nb alloy, while ensuring a higher creep resistance and an improved dimensional stability. On the contrary, at 0.5 % Sn, the corrosion resistance can be significantly degraded under demanding conditions. The iron addition to the alloy can be considered as a second order parameter for both corrosion and creep properties.
Depicting distant suffering: evangelicals and the politics of pictorial humanitarianism in the age of american empire

ABSTRACTThis article analyzes the visual culture of late-nineteenthcentury humanitarianism on display in evangelical periodicals. Probing how American evangelicals exploited innovations in print journalism and photography to arouse sympathy for suffering strangers during the 1890s illumines the linkages between late-nineteenth-century pictorial humanitarianism and earlier struggles to abolish slavery, while also foreshadowing the increasing entanglement of appeals for aid with the sensationalistic mass culture that intensified after the turn of the century. Studying the visual strategies evangelicals employed to inspire empathetic engagement with distant and culturally different others in an increasingly modern, interconnected, and imperial era also exposes the ambivalent and contested nature of late-nineteenth-century humanitarianism. While American Protestants shared many assumptions about the nature of Christian charity, conflicting perspectives on the ethics of “sensational journalism,” diverging view...
A zebrafish Notum homolog specifically blocks the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway

Multiple developmental processes require tightly controlled Wnt signaling, and its misregulation leads to congenital abnormalities and diseases. Glypicans are extracellular proteins that modulate the Wnt pathway. In addition to interacting with Wnts, these glycosophosphotidylinositol (GPI)-anchored, heparan-sulfate proteoglycans bind ligands of several other signaling pathways in both vertebrates and invertebrates. In Drosophila, Notum, a secreted α/β-hydrolase, antagonizes the signaling of the prototypical Wnt Wingless (Wg), by releasing glypicans from the cell surface. Studies of mammalian Notum indicate promiscuous target specificity in cell culture, but the role of Notum in vertebrate development has not been studied. Our work shows that zebrafish Notum 1a, an ortholog of mammalian Notum, contributes to a self-regulatory loop that restricts Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Notum 1a does not interact with Glypican 4, an essential component of the Wnt/planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway. Our results suggest a surprising specific role of Notum in the developing vertebrate embryo.
Melting profile and temperature dependent binding constant of an anticancer drug daunomycin-DNA complex

We calculate thermal fluctuational base pair opening probability and the drug binding constant of a daunomycin-bound Poly d(CGTA) · Poly d(TACG) at temperatures from room temperature to its melting temperature. For comparison we also carry out a calculation on a drug-free DNA with the same sequence. Our calculations are carried out by means of a statistical approach using microscopic structures and established force fields and with cooperative effects incorporated into the algorithm. Both hydrogen bond disruption probabilities and drug unstacking probability are determined self-consistently. These probabilities are then used to determine temperature dependent base pair opening probabilities and the drug binding constant. The calculated base pair opening probabilities and drug binding constant are found to be in fair agreement with experiments carried out at room temperature. Our calculation shows cooperative base pair disruption and drug dissociation at certain critical temperatures close to the observed melting temperatures for similar helices. We find that the temperature dependence of the drug binding constant fits well to the van't Hoff relation, in agreement with observations. Our calculation indicates the occurrence of a premelting transition in the drug-bound DNA helix. Some comments are made about this premelting transition.
Fabrication of Highly Porous Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia by Acid Leaching Nickel from a Nickel- Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia Cermet

Porous Y2O3-stabilized ZrO2 (YSZ) samples were synthesized by preparing NiO/YSZ composites by tape casting and calcining at 1800 K, reducing the NiO to nickel in H2 at 973 K, and finally leaching the nickel out of the structure with 2.2M HNO3 at 353 K. Porous YSZ was prepared from NiO/YSZ composites containing 0, 20, 40, and 50 wt% NiO. Complete removal of the nickel was demonstrated by XRD, weight changes, and porosity increases. Porosities >75% could be achieved without structural collapse of the YSZ phase. Finally, the method was applied to the fabrication of a solid oxide fuel cell with a copper-based anode operating on H2 and n-butane.
Investigation of the effect of continuously variable transmissions on ground robot powertrain efficiency

Explosive ordinance disposal (EOD) robots are limited in endurance and range by the amount of energy available in the batteries used to power them. Continuously variable transmission (CVT) technology has developed quickly in recent years in the automotive field and is now being applied to smaller vehicles such as bicycles and electric scooters. This paper will discuss simulations investigating the feasibility of adding CVT transmissions to robot powertrains in order to improve the overall efficiency of the drive system. The equations used to calculate the power required to move a robot at varying speeds will be described, as well as the equations used to model CVT and direct-drive transmissions, DC motors, and power discharge from a battery. The results of a constant mass simulation, where the added CVT mass was offset by a loss in battery mass, showed that adding CVTs is not a feasible option due to the mass of the CVTs. In an added mass scenario, where the mass of the CVTs was added to the overall robot mass, the benefits of a CVT depended strongly on the speeds at which the robot was expected to perform. A robot expected to operate at low speeds most of the time would benefit more from a CVT than a robot expected to operate near maximum speed most of the time.