cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dissecting Contributions to the Denaturant Sensitivities of Proteins

Understanding the molecular basis for protein denaturation by urea and guanidinium chloride (GdmCl) should accommodate the observation that, on a molar basis, GdmCl is generally 2−2.5-fold more effective as a protein denaturant than urea. Previous studies [Smith, J. S., and Scholtz, J. M. (1996) Biochemistry 35, 7292−7297] have suggested that the effects of GdmCl on the stability of alanine-based helical peptides can be separated into denaturant and salt effects, since adding equimolar NaCl to urea enhanced urea-induced unfolding to an extent that was close to that of Gdm. We reinvestigated this observation using an alanine-based helical peptide (alahel) that lacks side chain electrostatic contributions to stability, and compared the relative denaturant sensitivities of this peptide with that of tryptophan zipper peptides (trpzip) whose native conformations are stabilized largely by cross-strand indole ring interactions. In contrast to the observations of Smith and Scholtz, GdmCl was only slightly more po...
Rethinking Language Planning and Policy from the Ground Up: Refashioning Institutional Realities and Human Lives.

At a time when connections between English and globalisation seem stronger than ever, and at a time when the ‘dominant’ status of English vis-a-vis other languages is very prominent, it seems imperative for the LPP scholarship to make room for grounded explorations regarding English and its relationship to vernacular languages in non-Western educational contexts. Drawing on an eight-year ethnographic study of English-and-vernacular-medium education in Gujarat, India, this paper argues that it may be time for language planning and policy studies to adopt a situated approach that begins addressing issues around language planning- and policy-related inequities by first focusing on what is on the ground.1 By gaining insight into how divides between English and other languages are perpetuated by the enforcement of particular policies and by understanding how institutions and humans refashion and re-plan theirs and others lives by countering language policies, such an orientation opens up a way for us to go bey...
Outdoor fine and ultrafine particle measurements at six bus stops with smoking on two California arterial highways--results of a pilot study.

As indoor smoking bans have become widely adopted, some U.S. communities are considering restricting smoking outdoors, creating a need for measurements of air pollution near smokers outdoors. Personal exposure experiments were conducted with four to five participants at six sidewalk bus stops located 1.5–3.3 m from the curb of two heavily traveled California arterial highways with 3300–5100 vehicles per hour. At each bus stop, a smoker in the group smoked a cigarette. Gravimetrically calibrated continuous monitors were used to measure fine particle concentrations (aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5 µm; PM2.5) in the breathing zones (within 0.2 m from the nose and mouth) of each participant. At each bus stop, ultrafine particles (UFP), wind speed, temperature, relative humidity, and traffic counts were also measured. For 13 cigarette experiments, the mean PM2.5 personal exposure of the nonsmoker seated 0.5 m from the smoker during a 5-min cigarette ranged from 15 to 153 µg/m3. Of four persons seated on the bench, t...
An investigation into the existence of subgroup concept in information systems personnel management

IS/DP department consists of managers and their subordinates. IS development projects involve a group of IS personnel consisting of and its members. This paper examines the supervisory relations by means of subgroup concepts developed in behavioral sciences. The study finds that in IS units in a large federal agency examined here managers differentiate members into subgroup.
Wind-based hybrid power systems in rural Western New York

The objective of this study is to explore the residential and agricultural use of small wind power systems in rural western New York, and to develop a sense of efficacy and efficiency of such systems. The study deals mainly with hybrid systems, that is, systems with wind as the primary source of power along with a variety of backup sources. The study also attempts to identify the technical and economic difficulties associated with small-scale applications of these systems. Numerous case studies revealed common misconceptions regarding wind turbines and the barriers these ideas create in the progress of a rural wind program. Lack of incentive programs makes it even more difficult for wind-based energy share to grow in Western New York.
Comparison of measured sidewall roughness for positive-tone chemically amplified resists exposed by X-ray lithography

As critical dimensions for resist features shrink, resist roughness on the sidewall may contribute relatively more to the correspondingly smaller CD error budget. Thus, some photoresists may be more suitable than others for smaller dimensions. This paper compares and contrasts the sidewall roughness values measured by atomic force microscopy of two positive-tones, chemically amplified resists used in X-ray lithography.
The Bell Curve: implications for the performance of Black/White athletes

Abstract Research such as the Bell Curve coincide with stereotypes of the “dumb Black” athlete. As a function of same, Black athletes overachieve in basketball and other physically rigorous sports. Although it is assumed, conclusive data establishing anatomical and/or genetic superiority of the Black athlete does not exist. White athletes blessed with similar physical gifts underachieve as a function of the same stereotype. The Bell Curve and similar works are little more than a racist effort to maintain the social and economic status quo by impacting the performance levels of athletes.
Environmental Management of Asthma at Top-Ranked U.S. Managed Care Organizations

We evaluated the status of nationally top-ranked managed care organizations' (MCOs) asthma disease management programs to identify “best practices” in the environmental treatment and control of asthma. Application materials were developed and mailed to the top 34 managed care organizations, as determined by the ranked results from the 10 1998 edition of US News and World Report. Based on the results of a staff and panel review, five applicants were selected for site visitation. The results of the site visits determined two finalists and three runners-up. We recommend that MCOs integrate population and community-based strategies and seek an emphasis on prevention. We encourage collaborations with other organizations and agencies. We endorse home visitation to assess environmental factors and also support use of telephonic case management. We think that smoking cessation programs should be coordinated with asthma management. We consider it important to use alternative forms of communication such as the Inte...
Effect of Reynolds Number on Performance of a Small Centrifugal Pump

A study of a small centrifugal blood pump has been made to address the effectiveness of traditional pump affinity laws and the influence that viscous effects, as characterized by the Reynolds number, have on the pump performance. This was investigated both experimentally and numerically on models of a small implantable centrifugal blood pump, which has an impeller diameter of 46 mm with a log spiral volute. In the experiments, the Head-Flow curves were determined for speeds between 500 and 3000 rpm and for two different viscosity fluids. It was found that lower Reynolds number flows did not adhere to conventional pump affinity laws, whereas higher Reynolds number flows scale very effectively according to pump affinity laws. The numerical study consisted of comparing the generated head and internal flow field of the pump scaled based on traditional affinity laws with and without consideration of the Reynolds number. Like the experimental results, the numerical simulations indicate that consideration of the Reynolds number is necessary to insure accurate scaling in this small pump.
Drafting New York Civil-Litigation Documents: Part XXVI — Notices to Admit Continued

This column, the 26th in a series on drafting New York civil-litigation documents, concludes the discussion on notices to admit.
Bipolar transistor design for optimized power-delay logic circuits

This design optimization scheme provides a procedure for tailoring the impurity doping profile of the transistor so that the performance of the logic circuit can be optimized at a specific power dissipation level and a given lithographic line width. It is shown that the condition of the optimized circuit performance dictates a set of relationships between the transistor structure, the logic voltage swing, and the value of the circuit elements. This paper further discusses the relation between the circuit properties and the transistor size, which becomes smaller as the lithography advances. It is concluded that as the horizontal dimensions are reduced, the vertical dimension of the transistor must be reduced, the impurity density increased, and the current density increased in order to increase the circuit speed. A simple relationship between the lithographic line width and the vertical structure is given which enables one to predict the power-speed performance for the reduced structure.
The Angles between the C1−, C5−, and C9−Methyl Bonds of the Retinylidene Chromophore and the Membrane Normal Increase in the M Intermediate of Bacteriorhodopsin: Direct Determination with Solid-State 2H NMR†

The orientations of three methyl bonds of the retinylidene chromophore of bacteriorhodopsin were investigated in the M photointermediate using deuterium solid-state NMR ((2)H NMR). In this key intermediate, the chromophore has a 13-cis, 15-anti conformation and a deprotonated Schiff base. Purple membranes containing wild-type or mutant D96A bacteriorhodopsin were regenerated with retinals specifically deuterated in the methyl groups of either carbon C(1) or C(5) of the beta-ionone ring or carbon C(9) of the polyene chain. Oriented hydrated films were formed by drying concentrated suspensions on glass plates at 86% relative humidity. The lifetime of the M state was increased in the wild-type samples by applying a guanidine hydrochloride solution at pH 9.5 and in the D96A sample by raising the pH. (2)H NMR experiments were performed on the dark-adapted ground state (a 2:1 mixture of 13-cis, 15-syn and all-trans, 15-anti chromophores), the cryotrapped light-adapted state (all-trans, 15-anti), and the cryotrapped M intermediate (13-cis, 15-anti) at -50 degrees C. Bacteriorhodopsin was first completely converted to M under steady illumination of the hydrated films at +5 degrees C and then rapidly cooled to -50 degrees C in the dark. From a tilt series of the oriented sample in the magnetic field and an analysis of the (2)H NMR line shapes, the angles between the individual C-CD(3) bonds and the membrane normal could be determined even in the presence of a substantial degree of orientational disorder. While only minor differences were detected between dark- and light-adapted states, all three angles increase in the M state. This is consistent with an upward movement of the C(5)-C(13) part of the polyene chain toward the cytoplasmic surface or with increased torsional strain. The C(9)-CD(3) bond shows the largest orientational change of 7 degrees in M. This reorientation of the chromophore in the binding pocket provides direct structural support for previous suggestions (based on spectroscopic evidence) for a steric interaction in M between the C(9)-methyl group and Trp 182 in helix F.
Ammonia-oxidizing archaea respond positively to inorganic nitrogen addition in desert soils

In soils, nitrogen (N) addition typically enhances ammonia oxidation (AO) rates and increases the population density of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB), but not that of ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA). We asked if long-term inorganic N addition also has similar consequences in arid land soils, an understudied yet spatially ubiquitous ecosystem type. Using Sonoran Desert top soils from between and under shrubs within a long-term N-enrichment experiment, we determined community concentration-response kinetics of AO and measured the total and relative abundance of AOA and AOB based on amoA gene abundance. As expected, N addition increased maximum AO rates and the abundance of bacterial amoA genes compared to the controls. Surprisingly, N addition also increased the abundance of archaeal amoA genes. We did not detect any major effects of N addition on ammonia-oxidizing community composition. The ammonia-oxidizing communities in these desert soils were dominated by AOA as expected (78% of amoA gene copies were related to Nitrososphaera), but contained unusually high contributions of Nitrosomonas (18%) and unusually low numbers of Nitrosospira (2%). This study highlights unique traits of ammonia oxidizers in arid lands, which should be considered globally in predictions of AO responses to changes in N availability.
Alcohols enhance caerulein-induced zymogen activation in pancreatic acinar cells

Activation of zymogens within the pancreatic acinar cell is an early feature of acute pancreatitis. Supraphysiological concentrations of cholecystokinin (CCK) cause zymogen activation and pancreati...
Uridine insertion/deletion RNA editing in trypanosome mitochondria — a review

The uridine insertion/deletion RNA editing in trypanosome mitochondria is a unique posttranscriptional RNA maturation process that involves the addition or removal of uridine residues at precise sites usually within the coding regions of mitochondrial transcripts. This process creates initiation and termination codons, corrects frameshifts and even builds entire open-reading frames from nonsense sequences. The development of several in-vitro editing assays has provided much insight into the molecular mechanism of RNA editing, which appears to involve cleavage, U addition, exonuclease trimming and ligation, essentially as proposed in the original 'enzyme cascade' model (Blum, B., Bakalara, N., Simpson, L., 1990. A model for RNA editing in kinetoplastid mitochondria: 'Guide' RNA molecules transcribed from maxicircle DNA provide the edited information. Cell 60, 189-198). However, little is known about the biochemical properties of the proteins involved and the significance and role of this process. This article is a review of recent findings on uridine-insertion/deletion editing in trypanosome mitochondria, with an emphasis on the proteins isolated and characterized that may have a role in this process.
The Na+ Binding Site of Thrombin

Thrombin is an allosteric serine protease existing in two forms, slow and fast, targeted toward anticoagulant and procoagulant activities. The slow → fast transition is induced by Na+ binding to a site contained within a cylindrical cavity formed by three antiparallel β-strands of the B-chain (Met180-Tyr184a, Lys224-Tyr228, and Val213-Gly219) diagonally crossed by the Glu188-Glu192 strand. The site is shaped further by the loop connecting the last two β-strands and is located more than 15 A away from the catalytic triad. The cavity traverses through thrombin from the active site to the opposite surface and contains Asp189 of the primary specificity site near its midpoint. The bound Na+ is coordinated octahedrally by the carbonyl oxygen atoms of Tyr184a, Arg221a, and Lys224, and by three highly conserved water molecules in the D-Phe-Pro-Arg chloromethylketone thrombin. The sequence in the Na+ binding loop is highly conserved in thrombin from 11 different species and is homologous to that found in other serine proteases involved in blood coagulation. Mutation of two Asp residues flanking Arg221a (D221A/D222K) almost abolishes the allosteric properties of thrombin and shows that the Na+ binding loop is also involved in direct recognition of protein C and antithrombin.
Evidence for a Deep Pore Activation Gate in Small Conductance Ca2+-activated K+ Channels

Small conductance calcium-gated potassium (SK) channels share an overall topology with voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels, but are distinct in that they are gated solely by calcium (Ca2+), not voltage. For Kv channels there is strong evidence for an activation gate at the intracellular end of the pore, which was not revealed by substituted cysteine accessibility of the homologous region in SK2 channels. In this study, the divalent ions cadmium (Cd2+) and barium (Ba2+), and 2-aminoethyl methanethiosulfonate (MTSEA) were used to probe three sites in the SK2 channel pore, each intracellular to (on the selectivity filter side of) the region that forms the intracellular activation gate of voltage-gated ion channels. We report that Cd2+ applied to the intracellular side of the membrane can modify a cysteine introduced to a site (V391C) just intracellular to the putative activation gate whether channels are open or closed. Similarly, MTSEA applied to the intracellular side of the membrane can access a cysteine residue (A384C) that, based on homology to potassium (K) channel crystal structures (i.e., the KcsA/MthK model), resides one amino acid intracellular to the glycine gating hinge. Cd2+ and MTSEA modify with similar rates whether the channels are open or closed. In contrast, Ba2+ applied to the intracellular side of the membrane, which is believed to block at the intracellular end of the selectivity filter, blocks open but not closed channels when applied to the cytoplasmic face of rSK2 channels. Moreover, Ba2+ is trapped in SK2 channels when applied to open channels that are subsequently closed. Ba2+ pre-block slows MTSEA modification of A384C in open but not in closed (Ba2+-trapped) channels. The findings suggest that the SK channel activation gate resides deep in the vestibule of the channel, perhaps in the selectivity filter itself.
Learning scheme to predict atomic forces and accelerate materials simulations

The behavior of an atom in a molecule, liquid, or solid is governed by the force it experiences. If the dependence of this vectorial force on the atomic chemical environment can be learned efficiently with high fidelity from benchmark reference results---using ``big-data'' techniques, i.e., without resorting to actual functional forms---then this capability can be harnessed to enormously speed up in silico materials simulations. The present contribution provides several examples of how such a force field for Al can be used to go far beyond the length-scale and time-scale regimes presently accessible using quantum-mechanical methods. It is argued that pathways are available to systematically and continuously improve the predictive capability of such a learned force field in an adaptive manner, and that this concept can be generalized to include multiple elements.
Assessing the impact of deportable status on sentencing outcomes in a sample of state prisoners

AbstractMuch of the existing discussion surrounding the immigration–crime link has been influenced by public perceptions of the criminality of illegal immigrants. Recent empirical studies, however, suggest that immigrant status may instead operate as a protective factor, shielding immigrants from (serious) criminal offending. Rarely investigated is the extent to which illegal immigration, construed as deportability status, relates to criminal justice sentencing decisions. Using data from a cohort of inmates incarcerated for a new offense during 2008 in a large southern state, this study examines the impact of a federal immigration detainer on sentence length and type, controlling for a variety of legal and extralegal factors. Using propensity score matching, results indicate that inmates with federal immigration detainers received significantly shorter sentences compared to non-deportable inmates. No significant difference was found in the likelihood of receiving a life or death sentence between inmates w...
Design of a Tube-Launched UAV

This project was conceived in response to Navy RFP N04-T004, a sonobuoy tube launched UAV designed to be launched from the H-60 helicopter and P-3 Orion. This conceptual design shows that it is possible to meet the minimum requirements set forth in N04-T004 and carry all payloads specified except the Hyper Spectral Camera. Because N04-T004 is somewhat vague in what it requires in terms of performance and payload capability, reasonable assumptions were made in regards to what the customer will want as the program progresses. These assumptions were based on the capabilities of other UAVs in the a similar class as the Sono-scout. Note that this design is presented in a preliminary form so that changes can be made without compromising the entire vehicle. Trade studies are presented to show what is possible with the airframe, as well as which specific payloads can be carried. This is done to a point where detailed design could refine the concept.
Insulin-like Signaling Promotes Glial Phagocytic Clearance of Degenerating Axons through Regulation of Draper.

Neuronal injury triggers robust responses from glial cells, including altered gene expression and enhanced phagocytic activity to ensure prompt removal of damaged neurons. The molecular underpinnings of glial responses to trauma remain unclear. Here, we find that the evolutionarily conserved insulin-like signaling (ILS) pathway promotes glial phagocytic clearance of degenerating axons in adult Drosophila. We find that the insulin-like receptor (InR) and downstream effector Akt1 are acutely activated in local ensheathing glia after axotomy and are required for proper clearance of axonal debris. InR/Akt1 activity, it is also essential for injury-induced activation of STAT92E and its transcriptional target draper, which encodes a conserved receptor essential for glial engulfment of degenerating axons. Increasing Draper levels in adult glia partially rescues delayed clearance of severed axons in glial InR-inhibited flies. We propose that ILS functions as a key post-injury communication relay to activate glial responses, including phagocytic activity.
Fully stable cosmological solutions with a non-singular classical bounce

Abstract We recently showed how it is possible to use a cubic Galileon action to construct classical cosmological solutions that enter a contracting null energy condition (NEC) violating phase, bounce at finite values of the scale factor and exit into an expanding NEC-satisfying phase without encountering any singularities or pathologies. A drawback of these examples is that singular behavior is encountered at some time either just before or just after the NEC-violating phase. In this Letter, we show that it is possible to circumvent this problem by extending our method to actions that include the next order L 4 Galileon interaction. Using this approach, we construct non-singular classical bouncing cosmological solutions that are non-pathological for all times.
Military Medicine Interest Groups in U.S. Medical Schools.

ABSTRACTMedical student interest groups are organizations that help expose students to different medical specialties and fields of medicine while in medical school. Military medicine interest groups (MMIGs) are a particular type of interest group that spreads information about military medicine, fosters mentorship, and camaraderie between students and military faculty, and increases the opportunities for leadership while in medical school. Surveys were sent to all U.S. medical schools to determine how many schools had an MMIG. If a medical school had a group, a second survey was sent to the student leader to determine more information about how their group operated (such as type of participants, funding sources, activities, faculty involvement, military health care provider involvement, etc.). Fifty-six percent of U.S. medical schools who responded were found to have an MMIG and most participants were students in the Health Professions Scholarship Program. Information about military medicine was found to ...
Human Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Osseous Rehabilitation of Induced Osteoradionecrosis: A Rodent Model.

ObjectiveHuman adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) were used to rehabilitate bone damaged by osteoradionecrosis (ORN) in an established animal model.Study DesignProspective animal study....
Batch soil adsorption and column transport studies of 2,4-dinitroanisole (DNAN) in soils

The explosive 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) is currently a main ingredient in munitions; however the compound has failed to meet the new sensitivity requirements. The replacement compound being tested is 2,4-dinitroanisole (DNAN). DNAN is less sensitive to shock, high temperatures, and has good detonation characteristics. However, DNAN is more soluble than TNT, which can influence transport and fate behavior and thus bioavailability and human exposure potential. The objective of this study was to investigate the environmental fate and transport of DNAN in soil, with specific focus on sorption processes. Batch and column experiments were conducted using soils collected from military installations located across the United States. The soils were characterized for pH, electrical conductivity, specific surface area, cation exchange capacity, and organic carbon content. In the batch rate studies, change in DNAN concentration with time was evaluated using the first order equation, while adsorption isotherms were fitted using linear and Freundlich equations. Solution mass-loss rate coefficients ranged between 0.0002h-1 and 0.0068h-1. DNAN was strongly adsorbed by soils with linear adsorption coefficients ranging between 0.6 and 6.3Lg-1, and Freundlich coefficients between 1.3 and 34mg1-nLnkg-1. Both linear and Freundlich adsorption coefficients were positively correlated with the amount of organic carbon and cation exchange capacity of the soil, indicating that similar to TNT, organic matter and clay minerals may influence adsorption of DNAN. The results of the miscible-displacement column experiments confirmed the impact of sorption on retardation of DNAN during transport. It was also shown that under flow conditions DNAN transforms readily with formation of amino transformation products, 2-ANAN and 4-ANAN. The magnitudes of retardation and transformation observed in this study result in significant attenuation potential for DNAN, which would be anticipated to contribute to a reduced risk for contamination of ground water from soil residues.
Eco-cooperative adpative cruise control at multiple signlized intersections: Network-wide evaluation and sensitivity analysis

Network-wide fuel consumption along arterial roadways increases as the number of vehicle stops caused by traffic signals increase. Eco-Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control for Multiple Signals (Eco-CACC-MS) systems are being introduced to increase vehicle fuel consumption savings in the vicinity of signalized intersections. These Eco-CACC-MS systems utilize traffic Signal Phasing and Timing (SPaT) data received from vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication and vehicle queue predictions to compute and transmit fuel-optimum vehicle trajectories to vehicles traveling through the vicinity of the signalized intersections. This study used INTEGRATION microscopic traffic assignment and simulation software to evaluate the Eco-CACC-MS algorithm to assess its network-wide environmental and energy impacts. A simulation sensitivity analysis showed that the Eco-CACC-MS algorithm reduces fuel consumption up to 13% with a 100% market penetration rate compared with Eco-CACC. The analyses also examined multi-lane networks, different demand levels, and different signal offsets. The significance analysis section showed the significance difference in the saving of Eco-CACC-MS and Eco-CACC. However, the algorithm may cause an increase in fuel consumption with oversaturated networks; thus, further work is needed to enhance the algorithm for these conditions.
Microbial Electrochemical Energy Storage and Recovery in a Combined Electrotrophic and Electrogenic Biofilm

Here we report enrichment from a marine-derived inoculum of a nonphotosynthetic electroactive biofilm that is capable of both consuming electricity (electrotrophy) and producing electricity (electrogenesis) from a single electrode. With the alternation of the electrode potential between −0.4 and 0.0 VSHE every 10 min, alternating anodic and cathodic currents increased in lock step (maximum current density of ±1.4 ± 0.4 A/m2 in both modes, Coulombic efficiency of ∼98% per charge–discharge cycle), which is consistent with alternating between generation and consumption of energy storage compounds by the biofilm. Cyclic voltammetry exhibited a single sigmoid-shaped feature spanning anodic and cathodic limiting currents centered at −0.15 VSHE, a phenomenon not observed to date for an electroactive biofilm, and square wave voltammetry exhibited reversible peaks at −0.15 and −0.05 VSHE, suggesting the same redox cofactor(s) facilitates electron transport at the biofilm–electrode interface in both modes. Hydrogen...
Protozoa as Models of Stimulus Transduction

To the casual observer one of the most interesting behavioral characteristics of protozoa is their sensitivity to stimuli. At the beginning of this century Jennings (1906) and Mast (1906) described in detail some responses of protozoa to stimuli: the “avoiding reaction” of swimming ciliates when they bump into objects, the swimming behavior which causes flagellates to collect in lighted areas and the responses of amoeba to mechanical stimuli and food particles. These observations leave no doubt that protozoa can sense events in their external environment and therefore must contain receptor mechanisms.
Nature of Active Sites and Surface Intermediates during SCR of NO with NH₃ by Supported V₂O₅--WO₃/TiO₂ Catalysts.

Time-resolved in situ IR was performed during selective catalytic reduction of NO with NH3 on supported V2O5–WO3/TiO2 catalysts to examine the distribution and reactivity of surface ammonia species on Lewis and Bronsted acid sites. While both species were found to participate in the SCR reaction, their relative population depends on the coverage of the surface vanadia and tungsta sites, temperature, and moisture. Although the more abundant surface NH4+,ads intermediates dominate the overall SCR reaction, especially for hydrothermally aged catalysts, the minority surface NH3,ads intermediates exhibit a higher specific SCR activity (TOF). The current study serves to resolve the long-standing controversy about the active sites for SCR of NO with NH3 by supported V2O5–WO3/TiO2 catalysts.
The Driving Force for the Association of Gemini Surfactants.

The self-assembly of surfactants into lyotropic liquid crystalline phases is interesting from a fundamental and practical perspective. The propensity for self-assembly is particularly interesting in Gemini surfactants which have a very low critical micelle concentration. In this work, we study the effect of headgroup identity on the driving force for the self-assembly of Gemini surfactants, using computer simulations of the potential of mean force (PMF). We find that surfactants with sulfonate headgroups have a greater tendency to assemble than those with carboxylate headgroups. The minimum in the PMF is about a factor of 2 deeper and occurs at shorter distances. Interestingly, the driving force is entropic with the carobxylate and energetic with the sulfonate headgroups. Analysis of different contributions suggests that these differences arise from surfactant headgroup electrostatics and size. The results provide an explanation for why the morphology diagram of the sulfonate surfactants is insensitive to...
Mechanical properties of 3D printed polycaprolactone honeycomb structure

Polycaprolactone is well known as a healing agent material in crack self-healing applications but not as a structural material. In this study, the focus is on the durability and energy absorption of honeycomb structure made from polycaprolactone through three-dimensional (3D) printing. The mechanical behavior of honeycomb structures was investigated through in-plane quasi-static compression tests at temperatures of 5 °C, room temperature (22 °C), and 40 °C. Energy absorption efficiency and energy absorption capability at different temperatures and in different loading directions was investigated according to the selected stepping upward stress. The “shape recovery” ratio after compression deformation was calculated. The results reveal that the polymeric honeycomb structure has exceptional repeatability under compressive loads. Specimens with relative density 0.20 showed high energy absorption capability, up to 0.988 J cm−3. After the removal of compression loads, specimens recovered up to 80% after the first deformation and up to 70% after the fifth deformation. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018, 135, 46018.
The power of reason in Spinoza

we [...] easily see what the difference is between a man who is led only by an affect, or by opinion, and one who is led by reason. For the former, whether he will or no, does those things he is most ignorant of, whereas the latter complies with no one’s wishes but his own, and does only those things he knows to be the most important in life, and therefore desires very greatly. Hence, I call the former a slave, but the latter, a free man.
The Sources and Development of Kant’s Thought

The poet Heinrich Heine said that Kant’s personal life did not yield an impressive biography. Kant (b. 1724) was born to a harness-maker of limited means and he led a life of teaching and contemplation, never engaging in public activities of any importance. After graduating from university, he worked as a private tutor to make a living until, at the age of thirty-one, he finally habilitated and began teaching as a lecturer (Privatdozent) at the University of Konigsberg.
Quantum tunneling and scattering of a composite object reexamined

This work presents an extensive exploration of scattering and tunneling involving composite objects with intrinsic degrees of freedom. We aim at exact solutions to such scattering problems. Along this path we demonstrate solutions to model Hamiltonians and develop different techniques for addressing these complex reaction-physics problems, discuss their applicability, and investigate the relevant convergence issues. As examples, we study the scattering of two-constituent deuteron-like systems either with an infinite set of intrinsic bound states or with a continuum of states that allows for breakup. We show that the internal degrees of freedom of the projectile and its virtual excitation in the course of reactions play an important role in shaping the S-matrix and related observables, giving rise to enhanced or reduced tunneling in various situations.
Revascularization of hibernating myocardium: uneven reflorescence after the drought.

In a review paper published 3 decades ago, Dr. Rahimtoola first defined hibernating myocardium as the “…prolonged subacute or chronic stage of myocardial ischemia that is frequently not accompanied by pain and in which myocardial contractility and metabolism and ventricular function are reduced
CHAPTER 157 – The Role of PI3 Kinase in Directional Sensing during Chemotaxis in Dictyostelium, a Model for Chemotaxis of Neutrophils and Macrophages

This chapter discusses the signaling events that control the ability of a cell to sense the direction of a chemoattractant gradient. The phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K) pathway plays a pivotal role in the conversion of such a shallow external gradient into the extreme cytoskeletal polarization necessary or directed cell movement of neutrophils, macrophages, and Dictyostelium cells. Concentration differences of only a few percent over the length of a cell are sufficient to be recognized and converted into directional motility. Chemotaxis of Dictyostelium cells toward the extracellular chemoattractant cyclic AMP (cAMP) provides a model for the mechanisms underlying chemotaxis in a number of mammalian cell types, including neutrophils and macrophages. The ability to employ genetic, biochemical, and single-cell assays makes Dictyostelium an exceptional system for finding new genes involved in chemotaxis and understanding the interplay of known and novel gene products in the signal transduction processes underlying chemotactic responses. Furthermore, the simplicity of Dictyostelium chemotaxis combined with a vast body of experimental knowledge makes this organism an ideal system for testing predictions made by theoretical models of the chemotactic response.
An Assessment of Evaluation Instruction Related to the Health Education Specialist Practice Analysis Competencies in Health Education–Related Professional Preparation Programs:

Background. Conducting evaluation and research is one of the seven areas of responsibility for health education specialists. However, there is little evidence to suggest that professional preparation programs use the competencies as identified by the 2015 Health Education Specialist Practice Analysis (HESPA) as a basis for instruction. Aims. To determine the degree to which departments with undergraduate health education–related professional preparation programs provide instruction in the HESPA 2015 Model evaluation competencies. Method. This was a descriptive, cross-sectional, nonexperimental study design. Data were collected using an online survey from programs that prepare students to sit for the CHES exam. Results. Faculty provide instruction about all evaluation subcompetencies regardless of entry- or advanced-level designation. Developing an evaluation plan, monitoring implementation, and selecting, adapting, and creating instruments to collect data represent the competencies taught most frequently....
The impact of the low-income housing tax credit on children's health and wellbeing in Georgia

Housing instability is a risk factor for child abuse and neglect (CAN). Thus, policies that increase availability of affordable housing may reduce CAN rates. The Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program is the largest affordable housing policy initiative in the country. This study used fixed-effects models to estimate the relationship between LIHTC units and county-level CAN reports in Georgia from 2005 to 2015, controlling for county demographic characteristics. One-way fixed-effects models (including only county fixed-effects) demonstrated significant negative associations between number of LIHTC units and substantiated cases of CAN and total reports of sexual abuse. In two-way fixed-effects models (including county and year fixed-effects), LIHTC units were not associated with any of the outcomes. The findings are subject to limitations, including voluntary provision of CAN data, suppressed data for counties with < 10 CAN cases, and no assessment of the quality of LIHTC neighborhood. LIHTC may be a promising prevention strategy, but more research is needed.
Evaluation of the influences of dam release types, land use, and habitat affecting abundance, richness, diversity, and community structure of larval and juvenile fish

We systematically evaluated the influence of dams on downstream aquatic habitat and early life stage (ELS) fish at two spatial scales from epilimnetic and hypolimnetic discharges and made compariso...
Spectral Analysis of 50–100 MeV Thomson Backscatter Gamma-rays from GeV Laser-Plasma Accelerator

We present experimental results of a method that measures high flux, MeV scale x-rays produced via Thomson backscatter (TBS) of an intense laser pulse (a o ≈ 1) interacting with a counter-propagating Laser wakefield acceleration (LWFA) electron bunch. We predict the spectra of broadband 50–100 MeV TBS gamma-ray pulses in a single shot by combining two diagnostics - a pair-producing magnetic spectrometer and a cerium doped lutetium-yttrium oxyorthosilicate (LYSO(Ce)) scintillator - to capture two independent, cross-confirming signals. By combining these two diagnostics in a single shot, we are able to compare signal originating from pair production in the gamma-conversion spectrometer with the transverse electromagnetic shower profile in the LYSO scintillator, to deconvolve a photon spectrum. We make use of Geant4 [1] simulations and Thomson scattering theory [2] to theoretically reconstruct potential candidate spectra based on the LWFA electron energies and laser parameters, and, using a chi-squared fitting method, fit the signal simulated in Geant4 to signal measured on both detectors obtaining the most probable spectra. Below, we report a preliminary most probable spectrum with a mean energy of 60 MeV.
Past Continuous: The Chronopolitics of Representation in Syrian Television Drama

Syria serves as a leading producer of the musalsal [dramatic miniseries], a key Arabic-language mass cultural form. With its dark realism and biting humor, Syrian drama has become a primary mode of...
Price discovery in the Texas cash cattle market: Research Articles

Time series methods and directed acyclic graphs are used to uncover the centre of price discovery in 10 weight/gender classes of feeder and fed cattle from cash markets in Texas, U.S.A. Heavy feeder heifers, animals sitting on a margin of feeding for meat or breeding for new stocks, are weakly exogenous in an error correction representation of these prices. Further, contemporaneous price innovations from this class of animals cause price innovations in feeder steers and lighter weight feeder heifers. Innovation accounting shows the prominent role that heavy heifers play in cattle price discovery. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Environmental impacts of recycling crystalline silicon (c-SI) and cadmium telluride (CDTE) solar panels

Abstract There has been a substantial growth in the deployment of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels in the past couple decades. Solar PVs have a life span of about 25 years and much of the deployed PVs will soon reach their end of life (EoL). It is now timely to plan for the EoL of PVs to recover valuable materials and recycle PV modules sustainably. The goal of this study was to analyze the environmental impacts of different recycling methods for crystalline silicon (c-Si) and CdTe panels. A life cycle assessment (LCA) was performed for delamination and material separation phases of recycling solar panels. The LCA results showed that the recycling of c-Si and CdTe PVs contribute 13–25% and 3–4%, respectively to the entire PV lifecycle impacts. Also, for both c-Si and CdTe PVs, the thermal-based recycling methods resulted in lower environmental impacts than chemical and mechanical methods, except for pyrolysis. Nitric acid dissolution used for c-Si PV recycling had the highest impacts among all methods since the material consumption for this method has not been optimized for industrial use. Results from this study suggested that current techniques used in recycling of PVs, produce higher impacts than extraction of Al, Si and glass for c-Si and extraction of glass for CdTe. Lastly, this study identified which materials to prioritize for highest economic and environmentals benefits from recycling. These will be Ag, Al, Si, and glass in c-Si modules, and Te, Cu, and glass in CdTe modules.
Development of the Revised Relational Maximization Scale and explorations of how relational maximization relates to personal and relational outcomes

Cheek and Schwartz argued for conceptualizing maximization as the goal of “choosing the best” coupled with the strategy of “alternative search.” Using this conceptualization, we conducted five stud...
Variable Evolved Stars and YSOs Discovered in the Large Magellanic Cloud using the SAGE Survey

We present initial results and source lists of variable sources in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) for which we detect thermal infrared variability from the SAGE (Surveying the Agents of a Galaxy's Evolution) survey, which had 2 epochs of photometry separated by three months. The SAGE survey mapped a 7 degree by 7 degree region of the LMC using the IRAC and the MIPS instruments on board Spitzer. Variable sources are identified using a combination of the IRAC 3.6, 4.5, 5.8, 8.0 \micron bands and the MIPS 24 \micron bands. An error-weighted flux difference between the two epochs is used to assess the variability. Of the ~ 3 million sources detected at both epochs we find ~ 2,000 variable sources for which we provide electronic catalogs. Most of the variable sources can be classified as asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars. A large fraction (> 66%) of the extreme AGB stars are variable and only smaller fractions of carbon-rich (6.1%) and oxygen-rich (2.0%) stars are detected as variable. We also detect a population of variable young stellar object candidates.
ICRS virtual convention 2021: Orthoregenerative therapy from basic science to clinical application

Abstract With novel and minimally invasive therapies increasingly sought after to address acute and chronic conditions of the musculoskeletal system, orthoregenerative strategies have been gaining attention given their potential to modulate and improve the body's healing response. Aiming to facilitate communication, education and translational research on orthobiologics, the International Cartilage Regeneration & Joint Preservation Society Virtual Convention 2021 was conducted to outline key strategies frequently used in research and clinical application, including blood-derivatives, stem cells, biomechanical concepts and engineering strategies, as well as exploring new developments and promising targets in the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders. This article will summarize the International Cartilage Regeneration & Joint Preservation Society Virtual Convention 2021, reviewing both the scientific "Know Why" as well as the clinical "Know How", to encompass the entire spectrum of orthoregeneration, bench to bedside, in 2021 and beyond.
Kalman Filtering with Adversarial Corruptions

Here we revisit the classic problem of linear quadratic estimation, i.e. estimating the trajectory of a linear dynamical system from noisy measurements. The celebrated Kalman filter gives an optimal estimator when the measurement noise is Gaussian, but is widely known to break down when one deviates from this assumption, e.g. when the noise is heavy-tailed. Many ad hoc heuristics have been employed in practice for dealing with outliers. In a pioneering work, Schick and Mitter gave provable guarantees when the measurement noise is a known infinitesimal perturbation of a Gaussian and raised the important question of whether one can get similar guarantees for large and unknown perturbations. In this work we give a truly robust filter: we give the first strong provable guarantees for linear quadratic estimation when even a constant fraction of measurements have been adversarially corrupted. This framework can model heavy-tailed and even non-stationary noise processes. Our algorithm robustifies the Kalman filter in the sense that it competes with the optimal algorithm that knows the locations of the corruptions. Our work is in a challenging Bayesian setting where the number of measurements scales with the complexity of what we need to estimate. Moreover, in linear dynamical systems past information decays over time. We develop a suite of new techniques to robustly extract information across different time steps and over varying time scales.
Problems in the Teaching of Ethics: Pluralism and Indoctrination

We in the United States live in an ethically pluralistic society. Why should that pose a problem for the teaching of ethics? One major worry stems from the fact that moral convictions issue in actions. They also govern social and legal institutions and practices, and influence the formation of public policy. If moral beliefs were confined merely to what people think, they would not impinge on the lives of society’s members in quite the same way. But it is precisely because cooperative or competitive activities are regulated by moral convictions that ethical pluralism gives rise to opposition to the teaching of ethics.
Software energy profiling

A software energy estimation methodology is presented that avoids explicit instruction level analysis and predicts energy consumption to an accuracy within 3% for a set of benchmark programs evaluated on the StrongARM SA-1100 and Hitachi SH-4 microprocessors. A technique has also been proposed to separate the switching and leakage energy components of software. A web-based tool, JouleTrack, has been developed that incorporates the proposed techniques.