cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Preliminary Investigation of the Applicability of Surface Complexation Modeling to the Understanding of Transportation Cask Weeping

A new application for surface complexation modeling is described. These models, which describe chemical equilibria among aqueous and adsorbed species, have typically been used for predicting groundwater transport of contaminants by modeling the natural adsorbents as various metal oxides. Our experiments suggest that this type of modeling can also explain stainless steel surface contamination and decontamination mechanisms.Stainless steel transportation casks, when submerged in a spent fuel storage pool at nuclear power stations, can become contaminated with radionuclides such as 137Cs, 134Cs, and 60Co. Subsequent release or desorption of these contaminants under varying environmental conditions occasionally results in the phenomenon known as “cask weeping.” We have postulated that contaminants in the storage pool adsorb onto the hydrous metal oxide surface of the passivated stainless steel and are subsequently released (by conversion from a fixed to a removable form) during transportation, due to varying environmental factors, such as humidity, road salt, dirt, and acid rain. It is well known that 304 stainless steel has a chromium enriched passive surface layer; thus its adsorption behavior should be similar to that of a mixed chromium / iron oxide.To help us interpret our studies of reversible binding of dissolved metals on stainless steel surfaces, we have studied the adsorption of Co+2 on Cr2O3. The data are interpreted using electrostatic surface complexation models. The FITEQL computer program was used to obtain the model binding constants and site densities from the experimental data. The MINTEQA2 computer speciation model was used, with the fitted constants, in an attempt to validate this approach.
A Perspective on how Firms Relate to their Markets

In their editorial for this special millennium issue of the Journal of Marketing, George Day and David Montgomery (1999) outline the domain of the brave new world of marketing. Their description of the crossfunctional, cross-border world in which firms must relate to their markets and the five themes that emerge from this description are very real to me. My perspective is that of one who has attempted to implement research, been charged with the complex task of editing marketing journals, and has interacted closely with executives from many corporations. It is an honor to be invited by the editors of this special issue of JM to provide my perspective on this section.
TCFL Teachers' Redundancy of Pragmatic Markers: A Case Study at a University in Southwest China

Comparison and checking of micro-skills,as a method of MTCSOL teacher talk training,is introduced to adapt more coherently to the characteristics of MTCSOL training programs.MTCSOL trainee teachers' achievement of the required micro-skills is checked by transcribing their micro-teaching videos and comparing them with the videos performed by the experienced teachers.As a case study for the micro-skills comparison and checking,this paper describes the redundancy of pragmatic markers found in MTCSOL teacher talk,explores its motivations and brings up some corrections accordingly.
Regenerative Medicine for Diseases of the Retina

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the basic developmental biology of the eye, describing the relationships between retinal stem cells and progenitors during development, the sources of retinal stem cells, and progenitors in mature animals that mediate retinal regeneration, and explains the derivation of retinal progenitor cells from embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). The vertebrate retina arises from the ventral diencephalon of the neural tube. Paired evaginations, known as the optic vesicles, emerge from the anterior region of the neural plate. The optic vesicle cells express a unique complement of transcription factors, termed eye field transcription factors (EFTFs), which set them apart from the surrounding regions of the neural plate. Retinal development involves a massive proliferation of a group of cells that occupy the structure known as the optic cup. The optic cup forms from an involution of the optic vesicle, and mutations in the EFTFs prevent the eye from progressing to this stage, or much beyond it. The multipotent progenitors make up the majority of mitotically active cells in the embryonic retina. At early stages of retinal development, these cells are competent to generate the entire complement of retinal neurons and glia, and at later stages of development their progeny become restricted to rod photoreceptors, bipolar cells, and Muller glia, the primary glial cells intrinsic to the retina and the only glia generated by the multipotent retinal progenitors.
Current Status of Tumor of the Bowel Following Ureterosigmoidostomy: A Review

In the final analysis the major question that arises is whether urinary diversion to the intact colon should be performed at all for benign conditions in which a relatively long life expectancy may be anticipated. In answer to this question we believe that if exstrophy is the problem early primary closure with the staged reconstruction should be attempted first. If such efforts are marred by persistent incontinence management with an artificial urinary sphincter should be considered. In individuals with multiple bladder dehiscences after attempts at primary bladder closure, or in an individual with persistent incontinence despite multiple procedures surgical alternates should include diversion by a bowel conduit, continent urinary diversion, a variant of the ureterosigmoidostomy or standard ureterosigmoidostomy. Indeed, despite the appropriate concern regarding the development of tumor in ureterosigmoidostomy, this diversion may still have a major role in the educational process of urology throughout the next decade. Specifically, we must apply the knowledge gained from our clinical and laboratory investigations of ureterosigmoid diversion to the current more popular means of diversion. Of particular concern are the clinical findings of adenocarcinoma in enteric augmentations. This discovery must serve as a warning for the possibility of urocolonic tumors developing within alternative continent urinary diversions within the next 20 to 30 years. Certainly, at least annual evaluations of any diversions are mandatory until we can define accurately the morbidity and mortality arising from our interventional management.
Hemodynamic validation of Doppler assessment of fetoplacental circulation in a sheep model system.

Several clinical studies suggest that the Doppler indices (DI) derived from Doppler waveform analysis may be powerful predictors of perinatal compromise. In contrast, significant paucity exists in experimental verification of the central premise that the DI reliably reflect hemodynamic state downstream from the measurement point. This paper presents the results from two sets of acute animal experiments in which experimentally induced changes in the ovine fetoplacental circulation as reflected by the independently measured hemodynamic parameters were correlated with the corresponding variations in the DI. Doppler velocimetric measurements were performed under general anesthesia in ovine fetuses with gestational ages ranging from 100 to 110 days. A continuous wave Doppler instrument with a 4-MHz transducer was used. In three fetuses, variable vascular constriction was produced by a ligature placed approximately 10 cm from the probe location. In four fetuses, vasopressin was rapidly infused. The hemodynamic parameters measured included the peripheral resistance, volumetric flow, and pressure. The DI included the systolic-diastolic ratio, pulsatility index, and resistance index. The results indicate that, in hemodynamically stable and well-defined obstruction to downstream flow as achieved in the constriction experiments, the DI highly correlated with the hemodynamic state (p less than .005); however, during the more complex and unstable circulatory changes associated with vasopressin administration, these correlations were inconsistent and poor (p greater than .05). This study experimentally establishes in an in vivo animal system the hemodynamic validity of the DI within certain limits. However, the validity does not extend to hemodynamic changes associated with vasopressin administration. Further studies are required to address this issue.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Transcriptional Inhibitors Identified in a 160,000-Compound Small-Molecule DUX4 Viability Screen

Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy is a genetically dominant, currently untreatable muscular dystrophy. It is caused by mutations that enable expression of the normally silent DUX4 gene, which encodes a pathogenic transcription factor. A screen based on Tet-on DUX4-induced mouse myoblast death previously uncovered compounds from a 44,000-compound library that protect against DUX4 toxicity. Many of those compounds acted downstream of DUX4 in an oxidative stress pathway. Here, we extend this screen to an additional 160,000 compounds and, using greater stringency, identify a new set of DUX4-protective compounds. From 640 hits, we performed secondary screens, repurchased 46 of the most desirable, confirmed activity, and tested each for activity against other cell death-inducing insults. The majority of these compounds also protected against oxidative stress. Of the 100 repurchased compounds identified through both screens, only SHC40, 75, and 98 inhibited DUX4 target genes, but they also inhibited dox-mediated DUX4 expression. Using a target gene readout on the 640-compound hit set, we discovered three overlooked compounds, SHC351, 540, and 572, that inhibit DUX4 target gene upregulation without nonspecific effects on the Tet-on system. These novel inhibitors of DUX4 transcriptional activity may thus act on pathways or cofactors needed by DUX4 for transcriptional activation in these cells.
Effect of Beetroot Juice on Moderate-Intensity Exercise at a Constant Rating of Perceived Exertion

Dietary nitrate supplementation has been shown to reduce oxygen consumption at a fixed work rate. We questioned whether a similar effect would be observed during variable work rate exercise at a specific rating of perceived exertion (RPE), as is commonly prescribed for aerobic training sessions. Using a double-blind, placebo controlled, crossover design, ten females (25 ± 3 years; VO2peak 37.1 ± 5.3 ml/kg/min) performed two 20-min cycle ergometer trials at a constant RPE of 13 (somewhat hard) 2.5 hours following ingestion of 140 ml of concentrated beetroot juice (12.9 mmol nitrate), or nitrate-depleted placebo. Performance was measured in terms of total VO2 (L) consumed and total mechanical work (kJ) accomplished across each trial. Following each experimental trial, subjects rode at 75W for an additional 5 min to determine the effect of beetroot juice on fixed work rate exercise. Coefficients of variation in total VO2 (L) and work performed (kJ) during the RPE 13 clamp trials were 8.2 and 9.5%, respectively. Consumption of beetroot juice did not affect total VO2 or work performed during RPE 13 exercise, but lowered resting systolic blood pressure by ~5 mmHg (P=0.041) and oxygen consumption at 75W by ~4% (P=0.048), relative to placebo. Since the effect of beetroot juice on oxygen consumption is small and may be masked by daily variability during self-regulated exercise, it is unlikely to have a notable effect on daily training.
Breaking RSA encryption

Period finding, factoring, and cryptography Simon's problem (Section 2.5) starts with a subroutine that calculates a function f(x) , which satisfies f(x) = f(y) for distinct x and y if and only if y = x ⊕ a , where ⊕ denotes the bitwise modulo-2 sum of the n -bit integers a and x . The number of times a classical computer must invoke the subroutine to determine a grows exponentially with n , but with a quantum computer it grows only linearly. This is a rather artificial example, of interest primarily because it gives a simple demonstration of the remarkable computational power a quantum computer can possess. It amounts to finding the unknown period a of a function on n -bit integers that is “periodic” under bitwise modulo-2 addition. A more difficult, but much more natural problem is to find the period r of a function f on the integers that is periodic under ordinary addition, satisfying f(x) = f(y) for distinct x and y if and only if x and y differ by an integral multiple of r . Finding the period of such a periodic function turns out to be the key to factoring products of large prime numbers, a mathematically natural problem with quite practical applications.
Narrative Structures and the Catholic Church Closings in Detroit

We distinguish narrative structures as master frames from stories as actual telling of events, and show how they operated in the case of the Catholic church closings in Detroit in the late 1980s. Narrative structures drawn from Detroit industrial history and from reform in the Catholic church were imposed on the actual events constituting the closing process, and powerfully defined the terms of public discussion and debate about the meaning of the closings.
Proper Mix of Promotional Offerings Can Produce for Teams

With 81 home games, MLB teams have more ticket inventory to sell than any other sport, and gate receipts account for the largest individual revenue source for teams, totaling 34 percent of total gross revenues on average. As such, it is important to understand the factors that drive MLB attendance given the revenue implications that affect overall profitability.
Qualitative Data Analysis in Drug Research

This chapter contrasts qualitative and quantitative research methods in the study of substance abuse, with a focus on qualitative research methodology. Qualitative methods allow a researcher to gain deeper understandings of the meanings associated with the use and abuse of drugs and alcohol; rooted in symbolic representations such as words and images designed to study commonalities associated with this phenomena. The foundation of qualitative research is the discovery of grounded theory. Qualitative methods are particularly useful and productive for the generation of theories about the lives and experiences of people, such as those involved in the abuse of illicit drugs. In assessing the strengths of qualitative methods, researchers need to pay careful attention to issues of sampling, data collection, and data analysis. Each of these issues are discussed, with particular attention to how qualitative studies have been designed and how they have contributed to knowledge and understanding of drugs in society.
INTERPRETING THE INDONESIAN CONSTITUTIONAL COURT APPROACH IN CONDUCTING JUDICIAL REVIEW ON CASES RELATED TO ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RIGHTS

One of the duties of the Indonesian Constitutional Court (Mahkamah Konstitusi - MK) is to determine whether legislation is consistent with the Constitution. If the MK determines that a statute is inconsistent with the Constitution, it declares that such statute is invalid. In such instance, the MK has the final word to determine the validity of legislation. In the view of some scholars, this feature reflects that the MK adopts strong form of judicial review. While this assertion holds true in some cases, it does not necessarily reflect the complete feature of the MK’s approach in deciding cases. In some economic and social rights cases, the MK decision adopts weak form of judicial review. This paper attempts to explain that while constitutionally the MK adopts strong form of judicial review, in some economic and social rights cases it adopts weak form of judicial review.
Family instability and exposure to violence in the early life course

Family instability has been linked with a host of outcomes across the early life course. This study extends this literature by connecting instability with violence in the community by examining the associations among family structure, family structure change, and secondary exposure to violence during adolescence across diverse segments of the population. Using longitudinal data from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods study, we found that living with a single parent and experiencing family structure changes were associated with secondary exposure to violence. Multiple group models suggest that partner change translated into more exposure for boys than girls. Findings also suggest that family instability may lead to more secondary exposure to violence for African American youth.
Radio Frequency Ablation and Pulsed Radiofrequency for Treating Peripheral Neuralgias

Peripheral nerve pain is common among patients with typical management including the use of pain medications, neuropathic agents, steroid injections, and nerve blocks. Additionally, the use of pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) can be used in the management of chronic peripheral nerve pain. Previous studies investigating the effectiveness of RFA and PRF, typically case reports, have demonstrated that peripheral nerve RFA and PRF have the potential to provide relief of chronic pain for long duration. Our study aimed at testing efficacy of RFA/PRF for treating peripheral neuralgia. This was a retrospective review. We identified 16 patients who received 17 RFAs/PRFs. Outcomes of interest collected included pain scores before and after procedures, percent improvement in pain after each procedure, and duration of improvement until the time of data collection. In addition, demographic data including age, sex, and nerves involved were collected. Eleven patients (12 RFAs/PRFs) (80%) reported improvement after their procedure. Pain scores improved significantly from 6.3 ± 2.3 before each procedure to 3.6 ± 2.7 after each procedure (p = 0.003). Eleven patients (12 RFAs/PRFs) reported an average improvement of 60.8% ± 35% after their procedure with an average duration of improvement of 128.8 ± 106.8 days. RFA and PRF can be used to treat chronic peripheral pain after conservative methods fail to do so. Large clinical trials are needed to confirm our finding.
AU’S Strategies Toward Integrating Research with Student Learning: Ahlia University Model

This paper presents Ahlia University research skills framework that was developed and adapted to assure integration of research as a major skill as part of teaching, learning, delivery, and assessment. The paper will provide an oversight from the extensive literature review on the basis of development of the adapted framework and demonstration of number of courses with A2 integration. As a conclusion areas for further investigation were drawn in particular in the GCC context that requires attention by HEIs and researchers.
Incidence of nonmelanoma skin cancer.

Nonmelanoma skin cancers are the most common malignant neoplasms of fair-skinned people, in many sunny countries exceeding the total of all other neoplasms. The evidence that the primary causal agent is chronic repeated exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation is overwhelming. The incidence of basal cell carcinoma is always greater than that of squamous cell carcinoma, varying by latitude from 10:1to2.5:1. The incidence of nonmelanoma skin cancer has been increasing by 2% to 3% per year, at leastin the United States. Most likely, this is caused by greater outdoor exposure for leisure and social reasons.
Fourier transform techniques for the evaluation of the Thematic Mapper line spread function

An endeavor was made to use Fourier transform techniques to estimate the line spread function (LSF) of the Thematic Mapper (TM) from processed data. Data near the boundary of small fields from TM scenes were sampled, fitted to a theoretical curve, lowpass filtered, and then deconvolved to obtain the LSF. Lowpass filtering improved the truncation effect and eliminated the discontinuity at both ends of the data sequence.The selection of the cutoff frequency and the order of a lowpass filter is based on a newly defined criterion which tests the distortion of the processed edge by comparing it with the original edge. A parameter of the LSF, the equivalent width, is used to compare these LSF's deconvolved from sampled edge data with those evaluated by the derivative techniques. The calculated equivalent widths using the Fourier transform techniques for infrared bands are very close to TM design specifications.
The Natufian Sites and the Emergence of Complex Foraging

This interval is linked to fundamental changes in the adaptive evolution of prehistoric foragers in the Levant (Henry 1981, 1989a; Bar-Yosef and Belfer-Cohen 1989; Bar-Yosef and Valla 1991). With the Natufian we see a transition from a foraging strategy based upon high residential mobility and movement to resources (i.e., simple foraging) to one of reduced mobility where intensification and the logistical acquisition of resources (i.e., complex foraging) were common (Henry 1989a; Tchernov 1991). This transition appears to have been triggered by the intensive exploitation of plant foods, especially cereals, nuts, and legumes. The demographic and social consequences of the economic change were striking. Population growth at regional and community levels appears to have been associated with increased social complexity as indicated by social ranking along with enhanced artistic and ceremonial activities (Henry 1989a, 1991; BelferCohen 1991; Noy 1991).
Photopigment Variations and the Evolution of Anthropoid Vision

Photopigments serve as essential gatekeepers in that they regulate which features of the photic environment get translated into neural signals in the visual system and thus can potentially contribute to sight. Over the past 20 years considerable progress has been made in understanding these remarkable molecules and elucidating their roles in vision. This chapter reviews what has been learned about primate photopigments with particular attention to those facts that may allow insights into the evolution of anthropoid vision.
Holocene lake sediment records of Arctic hydrology

Although paleoclimatic research in the Arctic has most often focused on variations in temperature, the Arctic has also experienced changes in hydrologic balance. Changes in Arctic precipitation and evaporation rates affects soils, permafrost, lakes, wetlands, rivers, ice and vegetation. Changes in Arctic soils, permafrost, runoff, and vegetation can influence global climate by changing atmospheric methane and carbon dioxide concentrations, thermohaline circulation, and high latitude albedo. Documenting past variations in Arctic hydrological conditions is important for understanding Arctic climate and the potential response and role of the Arctic in regards to future climate change. Methods for reconstructing past changes in Arctic hydrology from the stratigraphic, isotopic, geochemical and fossil records of lake sediments are being developed, refined and applied in a number of regions. These records suggest that hydrological variations in the Arctic have been regionally asynchronous, reflecting the impacts of different forcing factors including orbitally controlled insolation changes, changes in geography related to coastal emergence, ocean currents, sea ice extent, and atmospheric circulation. Despite considerable progress, much work remains to be done on the development of paleohydrological proxies and their application to the Arctic.
Facing Your Competition: Findings from the 2016 Presidential Election

This chapter expands on the literature concerning media coverage of competition for political office. More specifically, we consider how visual presentation choices of the candidates and their display behavior intersect to influence public perception. We do so by summarizing research carried out concerning visual priming and visual framing during the 2016 presidential election. We first consider the visual frames of presidential candidates in competitive contexts, namely the primary and general election debates. Specifically, we recount findings from a content analysis of the visual frames used during the first two primary debates for each political party, as well as the findings from two field experiments during the general election concerning participant response to the different frames presented by networks during the first debate and available to them during the third debate and how this influenced trait evaluations. We conclude by discussing the interactive influence of the visual presentation styles chosen by networks, the facial displays by the candidates, and the larger context of the election on public perceptions.
The Science of Rapid Research Autopsy

A rapid research autopsy is an autopsy performed for the primary goal of collecting tissue to support basic and translational research. While research autopsies were first used to understand neurological disorders, this approach has increasingly been used to understand the mechanisms and pathobiology of a variety of other diseases, most often cancer metastasis and treatment resistance. In this chapter we provide an evidence-based discussion of the quality of the different types of biomolecules in postmortem tissues followed by a review of the high-impact science that has been performed using cancer tissues derived from several different tumor types. Finally, we provide our opinion on the future of autopsy as an integral component of modern medical practice.
Scalable SQL: How do large-scale sites and applications remain SQL-based?

One of the leading motivators for NoSQL innovation is the desire to achieve very high scalability to handle the vagaries of Internet-size workloads. Yet many big social Web sites and many other Web sites and distributed tier 1 applications that require high scalability reportedly remain SQL-based for their core data stores and services. The question is, how do they do it?
The political economy of unsustainable lock-ins in North American commodity agriculture: a path forward – Response to Struckman

In this commentary, I argue that in North America, the overuse of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer is due to institutional and technological lock-ins, which are the result of historical policies with deep roots in an agricultural system focused on increasing production of commodities with disregard for their full social costs. Further, excessive fertilizer use is integral to production systems that have disconnected crop and livestock production to the extent that manure is a waste product, which further creates environmental problems. In order to address the environmental and social problems associated with industrial agriculture, it will be necessary to bring market prices closer to true social costs, thereby eliminating overproduction of commodity grains and oilseeds, and to promote more diverse agricultural landscapes.
The Contract Interpretation Policy Debate: A Primer

Contract interpretation is one of the most significant areas of commercial law. As a result, there is an extensive academic and judicial debate over the optimal method for construing agreements. Throughout this exchange, scholars and courts have advanced a wide array of conceptual, theoretical, and empirical arguments in support of the two primary schools of interpretation—textualism and contextualism—as well as various hybrid positions. This Essay is intended to serve as a primer on those arguments.
Ultracold-Wire and arc additive manufacturing (UC-WAAM)

Abstract This study presents a new variant of Wire and Arc Additive Manufacturing named Ultracold-Wire and Arc Additive Manufacturing (UC-WAAM), in which the electric arc is established between the wire feedstock material and a non-consumable tungsten electrode. A feasibility study was performed on HSLA steel. A comparison with conventional Gas Metal Arc Welding-based WAAM was performed. By removing the electric current through the substrate and distancing the electric arc from the molten pool, this new WAAM variant can reduce the process temperatures and increase cooling rates, without compromising the integrity or deposition rate of the as-built parts. Mechanical testing showed the preservation of the high mechanical strength and ductility of the HSLA steel parts built with UC-WAAM. Lastly, one of the unique features of this new variant is also presented: the use of a non-conductive/non-metallic block to produce overhang structures, highlighting the potential for UC-WAAM to be used to fabricate supportless complex-shaped 3D structures.
Preseason Upper Extremity Range of Motion and Strength in Relation to In-Season Injuries in NCAA Division I Gymnasts:

Background:Gymnastics is a demanding sport that places unique forces on the upper extremity. The repetitive nature of the sport and the high-impact forces involved may predispose the gymnast to ove...
Chapter 5 Membrane-Cytoskeleton Interaction in Regulated Exocytosis and Apical Insertion of Vesicles in Epithelial Cells

Publisher Summary The actin cytoskeleton plays a variety of roles in regulated exocytic processes. The chapter discusses the categorizing of these activities. In some systems a layer of cortical-actin filaments, and possibly even subcortical-actin filaments, represents a barrier that exocytic vesicles must negotiate for access to the apical plasma membrane (PM). In these cases, regulation of the exocytic event is intimately tied to activation of those proteins that control the state and organization of the actin barrier and/or the actin of entrapment. In almost all cases, whether or not a cortical-barrier function has been demonstrated, some basic actin-cytoskeletal substructure must be maintained for the normal operation of regulated vesicular recruitment to the PM. This seems to be a requisite foundation for remodeling the apical-cell surface and would demand a different set of regulator proteins keyed to membrane cytoskeleton linking functions. functional motor proteins play a role in directing vesicular traffic along actin tracks to the membrane-docking sites.
Quasicrystalline Compounds; Metallic Glasses

The sections in this article are 1 Introduction 2 Basic NMR Characteristics in Quasicrystalline Alloys 3 Probing Electronic Structures of Quasicrystalline Alloys by NMR 4 The Alignment Echo Technique for I ≥ 1 5 Detection of Slow Atomic Motion in Bulk Metallic Glasses by NMR of 9Be 6 Biographical Sketch Related Articles
Chapter 2 Explicitly Correlated Approaches for Electronic Structure Computations

Publisher Summary This chapter provides an overview of some fundamental concepts and recent developments, which make the chemical applications of explicitly correlated electronic structure methods feasible. The essential difference between conventional electronic structure methods and their explicitly correlated counterparts is in the functional form of the two-particle basis set. The conventional methods use the antisymmetrized products of one-particle orbitals to construct two-electron and higher-order basis sets. The explicitly correlated methods also add basis functions, which include explicit dependence on the distances between two electrons. The judicious use of the interelectronic distances in the n-electron basis greatly reduces the basis set error in the wave function computation of electronic structure. Recent progress in the area extends the applicability of explicitly correlated methods to molecules with tens and hundreds of atoms, all with relatively modest (double- and triple-zeta) basis sets. The future is certain to bring more development in this exciting area of research and in complementary subjects.
Perturbation Amplification in the Entry Region of a Transitional Pipe Flow

The forced transition due to the application of large disturbances in the entry region of a pipe flow is considered. The disturbances are not large enough to cause a puff-type transition which is peculiar to a pipe flow; they cause a slug-type transition which is akin to a flat plate turbulence spot. The perturbation amplifications with Reynolds number have been measured at the entrance and also soon after the mean turbulent flow has become fully developed. At the entrance, all dominant frequencies amplify in a nearly universal manner which is exponential in part of the Reynolds number range. Furthermore, the nonlinear process undergoes a change at 4930 ≤ Re ≤ 6020 and again at 8120 ≤ Re ≤ 10060. At the downstream station, an almost saturated amplification rate has been reached and, in the background of a higher turbulence level, the trend is qualitatively similar to that on peak-valley splitting.
Model for integrating p-type ATPases into endoplasmic reticulum

Publisher Summary The Neurospora plasma membrane proton-translocating ATPase (H + ATPase) transduces the chemical energy of ATP hydrolysis into a transmembrane proton-motive force. The Neurospora H + ATPase forms a kinetically competent phosphoryl-enzyme intermediate during the catalytic cycle. Thus, this enzyme shares properties with the Na + /K + , H + /K + , and the Ca + ATPases of higher eukaryotic cells. This chapter discusses the ways in which manipulations at the cDNA level have been used to gain insights into the topogenesis of the Neurospora H + ATPase, to propose a plausible model for its integration into the membrane, and to propose the ways in which this model can be applied to the integration of other polytopic integral membrane proteins.
OECD Launches New Effort to Undermine Tax Competition

The OECD complains that “… governments are often under pressure to offer a competitive tax environment,” and that “failure to collaborate … could be damaging in terms of … a race to the bottom with respect to corporate income taxes.” In other words, the OECD is admitting that the BEPS project seeks higher tax burdens and the curtailment of tax competition. But that misguided pursuit flies in the face of the OECD’s own advocacy elsewhere of more efficient tax systems with lower corporate tax rates.
Discrete nuclear structures in actively growing neuroblastoma cells are revealed by antibodies raised against phosphorylated neurofilament proteins

Nuclear objects that have in common the property of being recognized by monoclonal antibodies specific for phosphoprotein epitopes and cytoplasmic intermediate filaments (in particular, SMI-31 and RT-97) have been reported in glial and neuronal cells, in situ and in vitro. Since neurofilament and glial filaments are generally considered to be restricted to the cytoplasm, we were interested in exploring the identity of the structures labeled in the nucleus as well as the conditions under which they could be found there. Using confocal microscopy and western analysis techniques, we determined 1) the immunolabeled structures are truly within the nucleus; 2) the phosphoepitope labeled by SMI-31 and RT-97 is not specific to neurofilaments (NFs) and it can be identified on other intermediate filament proteins (IFs) in other cell types; and 3) there is a close relationship between DNA synthesis and the amount of nuclear staining by these antibodies thought to be specific for cytoplasmic proteins. Searches of protein data bases for putative phosphorylation motifs revealed that lamins, NF-H, and GFAP each contain a single tyrosine phosphorylation motif with nearly identical amino acid sequence. We therefore suggest that this sequence may be the epitope recognized by SMI-31 and RT-97 mABs, and that the nuclear structures previously reported and shown here are likely phosphorylated lamin intermediate filaments, while the cytoplasmic labeling revealed by the same mABs indicates phosphorylated NFs in neurons or GFAP in glia.
Characterization and analysis of edges in piecewise smooth functions

Abstract The analysis and detection of edges is a central problem in applied mathematics and image processing. A number of results in recent years have shown that directional multiscale methods such as continuous curvelet and shearlet transforms offer a powerful theoretical framework to capture the geometry of edge singularities, going far beyond the capabilities of the conventional wavelet transform. The continuous shearlet transform, in particular, provides a precise geometric characterization of edges in piecewise constant functions in R 2 and R 3 , including corner points. However, a question has been raised frequently: What happens if the function is piecewise smooth and not just piecewise constant? Clearly, a piecewise smooth function is a much more realistic model of images with edges. In this paper, we extend the characterization results previously known and show that, also in the case of piecewise smooth functions, the continuous shearlet transform can detect the location and orientation of edge points, including corner points, through its asymptotic decay at fine scales. The new proof introduces innovative technical constructions to deal with the more challenging problem. The new results set the theoretical groundwork for the application of the shearlet framework to a wider class of problems from image processing.
Twitter’s messages during a governor election: abundance of one-way, top-down and auto-referential communications and scarcity of public dialogue

This paper examined how a public dialogue between citizens and politicians was developed on Twitter within an electoral campaign. This study focused on analyzing the messages that circulated on the Twitter accounts of five candidates that ran for governor in the state of Jalisco, Mexico, in 2012. Twitter is one of the most popular social media platforms in the western democracies and recently has been an important communication channel in the political field, especially in electoral periods. The questions this study investigated includes: What is happening within Twitter in electoral competitions? How are the users communicating with the politicians? What kind of public dialogue can be found in these communication processes? These questions were tackled through qualitative textual analysis of messages that circulated through the Twitter accounts of five Mexican politicians that competed in an electoral campaign. The major finding indicates that there was a scarcity of public dialogue on Twitter during Jalisco’s local campaigns. Nevertheless there was evidence of an incipient public dialogue between candidates and citizens within Twitter interactions.
Nonlinear diffusion regularization for transport of intensity phase imaging

We demonstrate a nonlinear diffusion (NLD) regularization method to solve the transport of intensity equation (TIE). A novel NLD regularization function is proposed to enforce piecewise-constant priors and to remove low-frequency artifacts in the TIE solution.
Speciation of ferric phenoxide intermediates during the reduction of iron(III)-μ-oxo dimers by hydroquinone.

The aqueous speciation of iron(III)–tris(pyridylmethyl)amine (TPA) complexes was determined from potentiometric titration data, and the overall formation constants (β) for relevant species were calculated. At pH < 3 the mononuclear complex [Fe(TPA)]+3(aq) predominates (log β = 10.75(15). Above pH 3 Fe3+–OH2 hydrolysis produces the μ-oxo dimer [Fe2(μ-O)(TPA)2(H2O)2]+4 (1a; log β = 19.91(12)). This species is a diprotic acid with the conjugate bases [Fe2(μ-O)(TPA)2(H2O)(OH)]+3 (1b; log β = 15.53(6)) and [Fe2(μ-O)(TPA)2(OH)2]+2 (1c; log β = 10.27(7)). The pKas of 1a are 4.38(14) and 5.26(9). Compounds 1a–c quantitatively oxidize hydroquinone to benzoquinone with concomitant formation of 2 equiv of Fe(II). Kinetic and spectroscopic data at pH 5.6 are consistent with rapid equilibrium formation of a diiron(III)–phenoxide intermediate followed by rate-controlling electron transfer. The equilibrium constant for the formation of the intermediate complex is 25(3) M–1, and the rate constant for its decomposition is...
Energy transfer in dye-doped mesostructured composites

Energy transfer between the organic laser dyes coumarin 485 and pyrromethene 567 was investigated in mesostructured silica/block copolymer thin films. The 2-D hexagonal mesostructured silica thin films were made using acidic sol−gel synthesis with poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(propylene oxide)-b-poly(ethylene oxide), (EO20PO70EO20) as the structure-directing agent. The dyes were doped into the film synthesis solutions so that they underwent co-assembly with the silica and block copolymer. At a very low concentration of acceptor, one acceptor molecule for every 20 donor molecules, the donor's emission was drastically quenched, suggesting efficient energy transfer. Investigations into amplified spontaneous emission revealed that the donor/acceptor system resulted in full gain narrowing at significantly lower concentrations than systems without a donor.
Observations on the parasitoid complexes of budmoths (Lepidoptera: Tortricoidea) on larch in Europe

This paper reports the results of a survey of parasitism of budmoths on larch in Europe as part of a programme to determine the potential of European parasitoids for the classical biological control of the North American defoliator, Zeiraphera canadensis Mutuura & Freeman. The parasitoid complexes of Zeiraphera diniana (Guenee), Exapate duratella (Heyden), Ptycholomoides aeriferanus (Herrich-Schaffer) and Spilonota laricana (Heinemann) are determined from field-collected samples of host larvae and pupae. The parasitoid complexes are characterized by their component guilds and the mean apparent parasitism of the individual species. Host phenology appears to affect the parasitoid complex of the larch budmoths. Parasitoids that attack the young larval instars are better represented from hosts that overwinter as larvae, while parasitism is dominated by the guilds that attack the late larval instars in hosts that overwinter as eggs. The study identifies the ichneumonids, Phytodietus spp., Chorinaeus cristator (Gravenhorst) and Phaeogenes osculator (Thunberg) for further experimental investigation as potential candidates for the biological control of Z. canadensis.
School, Community, and Spatial Equity: An Empirical Investigation of Access to Elementary Schools in West Virginia

To date, only a handful of studies have empirically investigated the relationship between school locations and their constituencies—i.e., the accessibility of schools. This article makes a contribution by presenting an in-depth case study of school accessibility in three counties in West Virginia. The study utilizes an extensive dataset of distances between students and eighty-four elementary school locations. The study examines whether or not the distribution of travel cost between resident locations (blocks) and schools is equitable on the basis of the density of resident populations and the socioeconomic status (SES) of resident populations. The article also carries the analysis one step further, investigating the effect of access on student achievement. The findings for the first hypothesis indicated that spatial inequities in access to school were substantial and varied by county and school zone. In terms of the relationship between SES and access to schools, results were inconclusive and could be de...
Structural differences in ferritins from normal and malignant rat tissues.

Abstract Ferritins purified from several normal and malignant rat tissues were examined for amino acid composition, content of tryptic peptides, available sulfhydryl groups and subunit sizes and proportion. Ferritin extracted from adult kidney, neonatal liver and hepatic and renal tumors differed from the ferritin of adult rat liver in migration on electrophoretic gels and in antibody affinity, but did not differ among themselves. Nevertheless, they showed distinctive differences in amino acid composition and tryptic peptide content. All of them and also adult liver ferritin contained two major species of subunits differing in molecular weight. The proportions of subunits, and the available sulfhydryl groups of the intact ferritin molecules, differed among these tissue ferritins. On the basis of amino acid and peptide content, the ferritins of hepatomas and the renal tumor analyzed showed the greatest similarity but not identity. The ferritin of neonatal liver was next most similar. Kidney ferritin differed considerably in composition from tumor and neonatal ferritins, while adult liver ferritin was the most extremely divergent of the series examined. A similar progressive difference was found on examining the proportions of subunits and sulfhydryl groups in these ferritins. However, changes in subunit proportion cannot explain the amino acid and peptide compositional changes.
Wide-color gamut multi-twist retarders

We show how highly chromatic Multi-Twist Retarder (MTR) films can be used to create a single-film color filter wherein the color may be selected only by the MTR orientation angle. By this approach, we can create multi- color images with just an MTR between polarizers. We study the design method and limits of the available color gamut possibilities in this approach, and experimentally demonstrate several designs of continuous and discrete patterns. This technique may be useful in art, displays, microscopy, and remote sensing.
Autoimmune hemolytic anemia with gel-based immunohematology tests: neural network analysis

In a previous report, we investigated the capability of commercially available immunohematology tests based on gel technology to add useful information for the diagnosis of autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA). In this report, we analyzed the same casuistic to find useful information on the importance of different immunohematology tests for the AIHA diagnosis, but using the artificial neural network (ANN) analysis. We studied 588 samples with a positive direct antiglobulin test (DAT), of which 52 samples came from patients with AIHA. The samples were analyzed with the ANN using the multilayer perceptron with the backpropagation algorithm. Using the ANN in the observed data set, the predictive value for the presence of AIHAs was 94.7 %. The rate of DAT-positive cases that were not AIHA and that were correctly classified was 99.4 %. The receiver operating curve area for the model was 0.99. The independent variable importance analysis found that the gel centrifugation test anti-IgG titer was an important contributor to the network performance, but other variables such as the IgG subclasses can also be considered important. The use of the ANN permitted us to identify immunohematology tests that were “hidden” with the common statistical models used previously. This was the case for the IgG subclasses. However, it is very likely that the information given to the network from those tests is quantitative rather than qualitative.
Studies of the fine-grain sub-layer in the printed CZTSSe photovoltaic devices

Cu2ZnSn(S, Se)4 (CZTSSe) is a promising low-cost and earth-abundant photovoltaic (PV) absorber material. Using binary and ternary chalcogenide nanoparticles as precursors, we have developed a chemical solution route to produce CZTSSe PV devices with the device efficiency as high as 8.8%. The cross-sectional view of the CZTSSe film shows an interesting bilayer microstructure which consists of an upper micrometer-sized polycrystalline (large-grain) layer and a lower layer with a dense, smooth bottom amorphous (fine-grain) morphology. In this paper, we present the composition and properties of the layers and our understanding on the fine-grain layer's impact on the device performance. Based on the observed optoelectronic properties, a numerical model for the CZTSSe-based PV device is developed, and the simulation results show that the fine-grain layer does not affect the device's performance. An experimental design of CZTSSe PV devices with different thicknesses of the fine-grain layers has also confirmed our findings.
Growth Hormone Research and Therapy

Letters from: [ Carl Grunfeld and Maxine Papadakis ][1] [ P. Michael Conn and Cyril Y. Bowers ][1] In their Perspective “A new receptor for growth hormone-release peptide [GHRP]” ([16 Aug., p. 923][2]), P. Michael Conn and Cyril Y. Bowers do an excellent job of describing the physiology