cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Air-ingress analysis: Part 2—Computational fluid dynamic models

Abstract Idaho National Laboratory (INL), under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), is performing research and development that focuses on key phenomena important during potential scenarios that may occur in very high-temperature reactors (VHTRs). Phenomena identification and ranking studies to date have ranked an air-ingress event, following on the heels of a VHTR depressurization, as important with regard to core safety. Consequently, the development of advanced air-ingress-related models and verification and validation data are a very high priority. Following a loss of coolant and system depressurization incident, air will enter the core of the high-temperature gas-cooled reactor through the break, possibly causing oxidation of the core and reflector graphite structure. Simple core and plant models indicate that, under certain circumstances, the oxidation may proceed at an elevated rate with additional heat generated from the oxidation reaction itself. Under postulated conditions of fluid flow and temperature, excessive degradation of lower plenum graphite because of oxidation might lead to a reactor safety issue. Computational fluid dynamics models developed in this study will improve our understanding of this phenomenon and is used to mitigate air ingress. This paper presents three-dimensional (3D) computational fluid dynamic (CFD) results for the quantitative assessment of the air-ingress phenomena. The 3D CFD simulation results show that the air-ingress accident is not controlled by molecular diffusion but density gradient driven stratified flow when the double-ended-guillotine break is assumed in a horizontal pipe configuration. It concludes that the previous air-ingress scenarios based on the molecular diffusion might not be correct and should be extensively modified to include real phenomena. This paper also presents a preliminary two-dimensional (2D) CFD simulation for validating an air-ingress mitigation concept using helium injection at the lower plenum. This simulation shows that the helium replaces air by buoyancy force and effectively mitigates air-ingress into the core.
The effects of water exchange rate and density on yield of the walking catfish, Clarias fuscus

Diana, J.S. and Fast, A.W., 1989. The effects of water exchange rate and density on yield of the walking catfish, Clarias fuscus. Aquaculture, 78: 267-276. High stocking densities (600 fish/m3) of walking catfish resulted in slightly higher mortality rate, no difference in growth rate, and a much higher yield than low density stocking (300 fish/ m3). Water flow rate (10, 5, or 2.5 turnovers/day, turnover here is one diluted replacement volume) had no effect on survival, growth, or yield. Fish were grown out from an initial weight of 5.4 g for 90 days, and most mortality occurred early in the cycle when the fish weighed < 26 g. Growth was also high initially and declined with time. Dissolved oxygen did not differ between tanks of different density, but was altered by flow rate. Water supply parameters, such as short-term BOD, strongly affected dissolved oxygen content at all flow rates. Ammonia concentrations increased with density and decreased with increased flow rate. Mortality rate of all fish was strongly size dependent, and mortality of small fish was correlated with short-term BOD.
Percutaneous transcricoid jet ventilation compared with surgical cricothyroidotomy in a sheep airway salvage model.

Abstract Background: We developed a large animal model of the “cannot intubate/cannot ventilate” (CNI/V) scenario to compare percutaneous transcricoid manual jet ventilation (MJV) with surgical cricothyroidotomy (SC). Methods: Twelve sheep weighing 40–80 kg were assigned to MJV or SC groups. After sedation, intubation, and line placement, CNI/V was simulated by removing the tracheal tube and inducing paralysis with vecuronium. When SaO 2 reached 80% ( t =0), MJV catheter insertion or SC was initiated. Upon successful airway placement, ventilation began using 100% oxygen at 20 breaths/min. MJV was administered at 50 psi. HR, BP, SaO 2 , pH, PCO 2 , and PO 2 were recorded at t =0, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, 300, 600, and 1200 s. Data were reported as mean±S.E.M. over the whole observation period. Baseline values were compared using Student’s t -tests. Repeated-values ANOVA was used for post-procedure group comparisons. Statistical tests were two-tailed and alpha was set at 0.05. Results: Body weights were not significantly ( P =0.08) different between MJV (65±6 kg) and SC (52±3 kg) groups. Baseline respiratory and hemodynamic variables were also not significantly different. Median procedure time for MJV (20 s) and SC (24 s) was not significantly ( P =0.69) different. Post-procedure values were not significantly different for SaO 2 ( P =0.65), pH ( P =0.70), PCO 2 ( P =0.47), PO 2 ( P =0.84), MAP ( P =0.09), or HR ( P =0.16) over the entire 20 min resuscitation period. Conclusion: Using a realistic model of CNI/V we found no difference in respiratory or hemodynamic variables between MJV and SC. Adequate ventilation and perfusion was maintained solely by MJV for up to 20 min.
Solution Structure, Conformational Dynamics, and CD4-induced Activation in Full-length, Glycosylated, Monomeric HIV gp120

The gp120 subunit of the HIV Env glycoprotein is responsible for receptor interactions leading to viral entry and is a primary target for neutralizing antibodies. Most structural studies have focused on the heavily truncated, deglycosylated gp120 core, leaving fundamental aspects of the glycoprotein that are responsible for immune evasion and receptor-induced activation unresolved. Here we investigate full-length, glycosylated HIV gp120 in unliganded and CD4-bound forms by using small-angle X-ray scattering to visualize global structural reorganization and hydrogen/deuterium exchange to track changes in local conformational dynamics. The studies revealed unliganded full-length gp120 to be considerably more dynamic, particularly at the CD4 binding site, than suggested by previous studies of the subunit core alone. The large V1/V2 loops, previously unmapped, are positioned to mask the coreceptor binding site in an orientation that recapitulates that observed in the Env trimer. CD4 binding shifts V1/V2 to unmask the coreceptor binding site and triggers profound dynamic changes in gp120 spanning from the binding site to the gp41-interactive face of gp120. These findings provide further insights on the structural basis of Env antigenicity and immunogenicity and of allosteric effects upon receptor binding.
U-Factorizations in Commutative Rings with Zero Divisors

Abstract Let R be a commutative ring with identity. We define an alternate method of factorization, called a U-factorization, and extend several finite factorization characterizations to U-factorizations.
Growth and structure of MBE grown TiO2 anatase films with rutile nano-crystallites

We have explored the systematics of TiO2 polymorph nucleation during film growth by molecular beam epitaxy on perovskite substrates. The accidental lattice match between anatase (0 0 1) and LaAlO3(0 0 1) or SrTiO3(0 0 1) typically results in anatase nucleation at the interface. However, the growth conditions dictate whether or not rutile also nucleates, and the associated morphological and structural properties of the composite film. Four symmetry equivalent epitaxial orientations of rutile on anatase are observed when rutile nucleates as discrete particles on LaAlO3(0 0 1). Such films constitute model systems for studying the anatase/rutile interface, which is of considerable current interest in photochemistry.
Regional Climate Model Simulations of U.S. Precipitation and Surface Air Temperature during 1982–2002: Interannual Variation

Abstract The fifth-generation Pennsylvania State University–NCAR Mesoscale Model (MM5)-based regional climate model (CMM5) capability in simulating the interannual variations of U.S. precipitation and surface air temperature during 1982–2002 is evaluated with a continuous baseline integration driven by the NCEP–Department of Energy (DOE) Second Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project Reanalysis (R-2). It is demonstrated that the CMM5 has a pronounced downscaling skill for precipitation and temperature interannual variations. The EOF and correlation analyses illustrate that, for both quantities, the CMM5 captures the spatial pattern, temporal evolution, and circulation teleconnections much better than the R-2. In particular, the CMM5 more realistically simulates the precipitation pattern centered in the Northwest, where the representation of the orographic enhancement by the forced uplifting during winter (rainy season) is greatly improved over the R-2. The downscaling skill, however, is sensitive to the...
Interactive visualization for optimal placement of public-access AEDs

The purpose of this study is to provide a decision-making tool for visualizing various configurations of optimal placement of public-access Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) deployed in an urban environment. Use of public-access AEDs has shown promising results in decreasing collapse-to-shock times among Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) patients which is associated with improved patient outcomes [3] [4], Prior studies have implemented mathematical optimization for placement of public-access AEDs [1], The novelty of this study lies in the implementation of an interactive tool which allows a decision-maker to change parameters and observe effects on coverage and cost. The approach is deployed and tested for the city of Hoboken, NJ.
Costs of treatment for elderly women with advanced ovarian cancer in a Medicare population

Abstract Objective To analyze the cost of treating women with advanced stage epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) undergoing primary debulking surgery (PDS) or neo-adjuvant chemotherapy (NACT). Methods The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) — Medicare database (1992 to 2009) was used to evaluate the 7-month cost of care following PDS and NACT for advanced EOC. Multivariate analyses were used to evaluate differences between women treated by PDS and NACT on cost and survival. Results Of the 4506 women eligible for analysis, 82.4% underwent PDS and 17.6% received NACT. Eighty-five percent with stage IIIC and 78.5% with stage IV EOC underwent PDS (p Conclusion NACT and PDS are comparable in cost for women with stage IIIC EOC, and PDS is minimally more expensive for women with stage IV EOC. PDS was associated with an increase 5-year overall survival. Future investigations should include cost-effectiveness analyses where additional measures such as quality adjusted life years and propensity scored survival are included.
Novel therapies for hemophilia A

[⇓][1] ![Figure][2] Hemophilia A is the most common severe bleeding disorder, with an incidence of 1 in 5000 males. It is due to deficiency of factor VIII (FVIII), which is a 280-kDa protein that associates with an even larger carrier protein, von Willebrand factor. Intravenous
Transient numerical modeling of carbon particle ignition and oxidation

Abstract The chemically reacting flow field on and around the surface of an isolated carbon particle has been simulated numerically using a fully transient formulation. Computations were performed for a spherically symmetric system utilizing detailed transport properties, a comprehensive gas-phase reaction mechanism, and a five-step heterogeneous surface mechanism. The effects of surface regression on the combustion characteristics of carbon particles are investigated for two size ranges (for small particles, the diameters ranged from 100 to 300 μm and for large particles, the diameter is typified by 2000 μm). Particles were ignited by placing them in various gaseous oxidizing media at a temperature sufficiently high (approximately 1400 K) to initiate gas-phase oxidation of CO evolved from the particle surface. Results show the typical behavior commonly associated with diffusion-limited and chemical kinetically limited burning of “large” and “small” particles. However, the range of diameters over which both diffusion and kinetics affect the burning characteristics is large. The regression of the particle surface introduces an additional characteristic time to the problem. The order of this time for small particles is approximately that necessary to establish a reactive gas-phase boundary layer and causes burning predictions to depart substantially from those found for quasi-steady burning. For large particles, other transients result from effects similar to those of “accumulation” for liquid droplet gasification and burning. Finally, transient behavior departures from quasi-steadiness are obtained for a large range of surface kinetic rates that encompass modifications that could result if the particles were porous.
ON THE GENERALITY OF THE UNFOLDED CHUA'S CIRCUIT

In this paper, we study the generality of Chua's oscillator by deriving a class of vector fields that Chua's oscillator is equivalent to. For the class of vector fields with a scalar nonlinearity, we prove that under certain conditions, two such vector fields are topologically conjugate if the Jacobian matrices at each point have the same eigenvalues and the equilibrium points are matched up. We show how these conditions are related to the complete state observability of a corresponding linear system. These results are used to show that the n-dimensional Chua's oscillator is topologically conjugate to almost every vector field in this class. We comment on the special case when the vector field is piecewise-linear and in particular when the vector field is 2-segment piecewise-linear. These results are illustrated by transforming several systems studied in the literature into equivalent Chua's oscillators. We also extend some of these results to the case of several scalar nonlinearities. As a corollary we prove that almost all piecewise-linear vector fields with parallel boundary planes are topologically conjugate if the boundary planes and equilibrium points are the same and the eigenvalues in corresponding regions are the same. We also give a dual result of topological conjugacy.
Long-term seismicity and ground deformation at Axial Volcano, Juan de Fuca Ridge

Seismicity along the Juan de Fuca Ridge (JdFR) has been monitored since August 1991 using U.S. Navy hydrophones in the northeast Pacific Ocean. During this time, the focus of JdFR seismicity has been Axial Volcano, where a total of 9055 earthquakes have been detected (1669 located). This activity occurred within 48 discrete swarms along the summit caldera and flank rift zones. From August 1991 to May 1996, Axial Volcano exhibited only one swarm with ≥50 earthquakes. From May 1996 to November 1997 swarm activity increased significantly with five swarms of ≥50 earthquakes. Activity culminated at the volcano in January 1998 with an 11-day, 8247-event swarm that was the result of a major eruption along the summit and southern flank. Seafloor deformation sensors indicated pre-eruption swarms in October 1995, May 1996, and June 1996 coincided with subsidence of the caldera floor. The 1996–1997 swarm activity increase also coincided with horizontal extension of the north rift zone, consistent with pre-eruption deformation of the volcano. Following the 1998 eruption, swarm activity dramatically decreased and no earthquakes have been detected since April 1998. This is the longest aseismic period (∼1 yr) observed at the volcano since acoustic monitoring began, suggesting the January 1998 swarm marked the end of an eruptive cycle at Axial Volcano.
Global Transcriptome Analysis of the Heat Shock Response of Shewanella oneidensis

Shewanella oneidensis is an important model organism for bioremediation studies because of its diverse respiratory capabilities. However, the genetic basis and regulatory mechanisms underlying the ability of S. oneidensis to survive and adapt to various environmentally relevant stresses is poorly understood. To define this organism's molecular response to elevated growth temperatures, temporal gene expression profiles were examined in cells subjected to heat stress by using whole-genome DNA microarrays for S. oneidensis. Approximately 15% (n = 711) of the total predicted S. oneidensis genes (n = 4,648) represented on the microarray were significantly up- or downregulated (P < 0.05) over a 25-min period after shift to the heat shock temperature. As expected, the majority of the genes that showed homology to known chaperones and heat shock proteins in other organisms were highly induced. In addition, a number of predicted genes, including those encoding enzymes in glycolysis and the pentose cycle, serine proteases, transcriptional regulators (MerR, LysR, and TetR families), histidine kinases, and hypothetical proteins were induced. Genes encoding membrane proteins were differentially expressed, suggesting that cells possibly alter their membrane composition or structure in response to variations in growth temperature. A substantial number of the genes encoding ribosomal proteins displayed downregulated coexpression patterns in response to heat stress, as did genes encoding prophage and flagellar proteins. Finally, a putative regulatory site with high conservation to the Escherichia coli sigma32-binding consensus sequence was identified upstream of a number of heat-inducible genes.
Ethical Challenges With Deactivation of Durable Mechanical Circulatory Support at the End of Life Left Ventricular Assist Devices and Total Artificial Hearts

Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) and total artificial hearts (TAHs) are surgically implanted as permanent treatment of unrecoverable heart failure. Both LVADs and TAHs are durable mechanical circulatory support (MCS) devices that can prolong patient survival but also alter end-of-life trajectory. The permissibility of discontinuing assisted circulation is controversial because device deactivation is a life-ending intervention. Durable MCS is intended to successfully replace native physiological functions in heart disease. We posit that the presence of new lethal pathophysiology (ie, a self-perpetuating cascade of abnormal physiological processes causing death) is a central element in evaluating the permissibility of deactivating an LVAD or a TAH. Consensual discontinuation of durable MCS is equivalent with allowing natural death when there is an onset of new lethal pathophysiology that is unrelated to the physiological functions replaced by an LVAD or a TAH. Examples of such lethal conditions include irreversible coma, circulatory shock, overwhelming infections, multiple organ failure, refractory hypoxia, or catastrophic device failure. In all other situations, deactivating the LVAD/TAH is itself the lethal pathophysiology and the proximate cause of death. We postulate that the onset of new lethal pathophysiology is the determinant factor in judging the permissibility of the life-ending discontinuation of a durable MCS.
Design and implementation of a dual excited planar circular array antenna for base stations

Switched beam smart antenna systems can improve the capacity and coverage for wireless communications. Smart antennas radiate narrow beams to serve different users; for users that are separated spatially, focused beams allow for the same frequency to be used in the same cell, thus greatly increasing the capacity of the system. In a switched beam system, the antenna switches between multiple beams that are pointing in predetermined directions.
Structural and Functional Organization of the ESCRT-I Trafficking Complex

The endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) complexes are central to receptor downregulation, lysosome biogenesis, and budding of HIV. The yeast ESCRT-I complex contains the Vps23, Vps28, and Vps37 proteins, and its assembly is directed by the C-terminal steadiness box of Vps23, the N-terminal half of Vps28, and the C-terminal half of Vps37. The crystal structures of a Vps23:Vps28 core subcomplex and the Vps23:Vps28:Vps37 core were solved at 2.1 and 2.8 A resolution. Each subunit contains a structurally similar pair of helices that form the core. The N-terminal domain of Vps28 has a hydrophobic binding site on its surface that is conformationally dynamic. The C-terminal domain of Vps28 binds the ESCRT-II complex. The structure shows how ESCRT-I is assembled by a compact core from which the Vps23 UEV domain, the Vps28 C domain, and other domains project to bind their partners.
Functional Analyses of the Promoters in the Lantibiotic Mutacin II Biosynthetic Locus in Streptococcus mutans

The lantibiotic bacteriocin mutacin II is produced by the group II Streptococcus mutans. The mutacin II biosynthetic locus consists of seven genes, mutR, -A, -M, -T, -F, -E, and -G, organized as two operons. The mutAMTFEG operon is transcribed from the mutA promoter 55 bp upstream of the translation start codon for MutA, while the mutR promoter is 76 bp upstream of the mutR structural gene. Expression of the mutA promoter is regulated by the components of the growth medium, while the mutR promoter activity does not seem to be affected by these conditions. Inactivation of mutR abolishes transcription of the mutA operon but does not affect its own promoter activity. The expressions of both mutA and mutR promoters are independent of the growth stage, while the production of mutacin II is only elevated at the early stationary phase. Taken together, these results suggest that expression of the mutacin operon is regulated by a complex system involving transcriptional and posttranscriptional or posttranslational controls.
A prochelator peptide designed to use heterometallic cooperativity to enhance metal ion affinity

A peptide has been designed so that its chelating affinity for one type of metal ion regulates its affinity for a second, different type of metal ion. The prochelator peptide (PCP), which is a fusion of motifs evocative of calcium loops and zinc fingers, forms a 1 : 2 Zn : peptide complex at pH 7.4 that increases its affinity for Zn2+ ∼3-fold in the presence of Tb3+ (log β2 from 13.8 to 14.3), while the 1 : 1 luminescent complex with Tb3+ is brighter, longer lived, and 20-fold tighter in the presence of Zn2+ (log K from 6.2 to 7.5). This unique example of cooperative, heterometallic allostery in a biologically compatible construct suggests the possibility of designing conditionally active metal-binding agents that could respond to dynamic changes in cellular metal status.
Some Significant Developments of Public Accounting in the United States

C Business historians have become increasingly aware of the pertinence to their endeavors of developments in the field of public accountancy. The present article is a pithy summary of the rise of the profession in the United States. British precedent and personnel were influential in the formation of early American accounting firms and associations. The movement for state regulation developed early, as did efforts directed at institutionalizing on a sound basis the education of young men seeking a career in the field. Public recognition of the profession came in the wake of the income tax laws of 1909 and 1913, the important effects of which are set forth. Early associations of accountants gave way to new organizations with a broader professional base, while a series of important legal actions have continued down to the present time to alter the nature of the accountants' services and responsibilities.
Transracial Adoption in Black and White: A Survey of Social Worker Attitudes

ABSTRACT An analysis of 363 questionnaires filled out by social workers in the United States assessing their attitudes on transracial adoption (TRA)-i.e., black children being adopted by white parents-found: (1) White social workers were more in favor of TRA than were black social workers; (2) African American respondents who were members of the National Association of Black Social Workers (NABSW) had less favorable attitudes toward TRA than black social workers who were not NABSW members; (3) for black respondents, TRA attitudes were also associated with income level and identification with one's own ethnic group. Implications of the findings were discussed.
Communication Resources for Disturbance Rejection in Coordinated Vehicle Control

This paper studies the systematic analysis of communication requirements associated with vehicle formation control performance. Our study begins with a Linear Quadratic Gaussian (LQG) control strategy for the disturbance rejection of vehicles in a formation. Then we analyze the relationship between the controlled spatial state covariance of the closed-loop LQG system and the formation geometry. This analysis clarifies the criterion for including communication between the vehicles. A simple numerical example is given to explain the main ideas and some interesting design issues.
Early history and rationale for outdoor chamber work at the University of North Carolina

Environmental context Imagine in 1968 having to tell the largest cities in the US that they would have to spend billions of dollars to reduce human exposure to a gas in their air that no one emitted and that no one knew for sure how it came to be there. This history recalls how scientists and policy makers met this challenge so that by 1985 effective programs were in place. Abstract The University of North Carolina (UNC) outdoor chamber facility was established in 1972. The chamber produces reliable and interpretable results using ambient sunlight, temperature and weather, providing an effective physical model system for learning about atmospheric chemistry. This article recounts the 40-year history of the chamber facility, from the early days in understanding ozone–precursor relationship to the latest in studying gas and particulate toxicities on human lung cells.
Adaptive IIR filtering using cascade structures

This paper studies the use of cascade form filter structures for implementing adaptive IIR filters. An efficient scheme for the computation of the gradient is developed. This greatly simplifies the complexity of the adaptive algorithms for cascade implementation of adaptive IIR filters. Issues related to the convergence of the adaptive cascade filter, and computational complexity reduction via alternate mixed form implementations are explored. The application of the cascade IIR adaptive filter for enhancing narrowband/sinusoidal signals in noise is also considered. Simulation results are presented to support the observations. >
Scattering by dielectric-loaded screen

A numerical solution for the problem of scattering of a plane wave by a dielectric sheet with an imbedded periodic array of conducting strips is presented. The primary motivation for introducing the strips is to reinforce the mechanical hardness of the sheet in certain radome applications. The study shows that with proper design the additional strips can also improve the electric transmission through the composite structure.
Climate sensitivity of spring snowpack in the Sierra Nevada

[1] California's spring snowpack provides a critical water resource that may be greatly reduced by greenhouse warming. However, warming over the past half century has had little effect on total summer water discharge. The region's snowpack may therefore be less sensitive to temperature change than predicted by numerical models. In this study, 53 years of 1 April snow course measurements of snow-water equivalent (SWE) from the Sierra Nevada are used in a spatially distributed covariance model of SWE sensitivity to temperature and precipitation. This model is applied at a 2.5 arc min resolution using a multivariate parameter-surface interpolation scheme and Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes (PRISM) climate grids. Total modeled SWE volume has a greater covariance to precipitation than to temperature. Increasing precipitation and temperature from 1950 to 2002 has led to an increase in SWE at high elevations and a loss at low elevations, resulting in little or no overall change in SWE volume. The covariance model predicts a 6 - 10% decrease in total SWE volume per degrees C. However, sensitivity is both highly dependent on concurrent change in precipitation and spatially variable, with the lower-elevation watersheds in the north being the most sensitive to warming. Overall, climate sensitivity is much less than that predicted by numerical models. This difference may result from inadequate treatment of elevation and precipitation in climate models.
On the Optimal Allocation of Students and Resources in a System of Higher Education

We model the social planner's decision to establish universities and populate them with students and resources, given a distribution of student ability and a limited pool of resources for higher education. If student ability and school resources are complements, and if there is a fixed cost to establishing a school, then the optimal allocation will involve a tiered system of higher education that sorts students by ability. In contrast to previous research, we show this tiered system is optimal even in the absence of peer effects. In considering where to locate students, the planner balances the benefit of providing students with more resources against the congestion costs of overcrowding schools. Nearly identical students who are close to the margin of entry to a higher or lower tier will experience discrete gaps in education quality. In considering how many universities to establish, the planner will balance the value of more precise tailoring against the cost of establishing additional schools. The planner's inability to perfectly tailor education quality will result in both winners and losers. Our model also makes predictions about how university systems that serve different populations should vary. Larger systems will produce more per dollar of expenditures and more education per student, due to economies of scale.
The cyborg's dilemma: embodiment in virtual environments

The paper poses the question: how does the representation of the body in virtual environments affect the mind? The article considers how virtual reality interfaces are evolving to progressively embody the user. The effect of embodiment on the sensation of physical presence, social presence, and self presence in virtual environments is discussed. The effect of avatar representation on body image and body schema distortion is also considered.
Symmetry analysis of reversible Markov chains

We show how to use subgroups of the symmetry group of a reversible Markov chain to give useful bounds on eigenvalues and their multiplicity. We supplement classical representation theoretic tools involving a group commuting with a self-adjoint operator with criteria for an eigenvector to descend to an orbit graph. As examples, we show that the Metropolis construction can dominate a max-degree construction by an arbitrary amount and that, in turn, the fastest mixing Markov chain can dominate the Metropolis construction by an arbitrary amount.
Application of noisy-independent component analysis for CDMA signal separation

We propose a noisy-independent component analysis (ICA) based CDMA receiver for multiple access communication channels. ICA is a statistical method for transforming an observed multidimensional random vector into components that are statistically as independent from each other as possible. We apply noisy-ICA as a post processor attached to a subspace based CDMA receiver in the presence of Gaussian noise. The proposed algorithm reduces the bias caused by channel noise in ordinary ICA algorithms and further decreases the noise by dimension reduction. The downlink CDMA channel is investigated and we assume that only the code of the wanted mobile user is known (i.e., blind symbol separation). We compare the proposed receiver with noisy-ICA ability to the conventional matched filter, well-known linear MMSE multiuser detector and ordinary (noise free) ICA based receivers. Numerical simulations indicate that the performance of the noisy-ICA based receiver is superior to conventional detectors, and comparable to exact-MMSE (i.e., all user codes are known) detection performance in a synchronous multiple access CDMA channel. The performance of the ordinary ICA based CDMA receiver is improved with noise bias removal and principal component analysis (PCA) based dimension reduction.
Polyethylene glycol-conjugated superoxide dismutase and catalase reduce ischemic brain injury

Superoxide dismutase and catalase enzymatically scavenge superoxide and hydrogen peroxide, respectively. Conjugation of polyethylene glycol to superoxide dismutase (PEG-SOD) or catalase (PEG-CAT) prolongs the circulatory half-life of the native enzymes and enhances their intracellular access. We studied the protective effect of these free radical scavengers on ischemic brain injury using a rat model of focal cerebral ischemia, which is suitable for therapeutic trials. Intravenous administration of PEG-SOD (10,000 U/kg) and PEG-CAT (10,000 U/kg) before ischemia reduced the infarct volume (treatment, 139 +/- 9 mm3, means +/- SE, N = 38; placebo, 182 +/- 8 mm3, n = 37, P less than 0.002). This finding supports the concept that superoxide and hydrogen peroxide contribute to brain injury following focal cerebral ischemia.
International Standards for the Promotion and Protection of Children's Rights: American and South African Dimensions

This article highlights the profound differences between the South African and American juvenile justice systems reflected in two similar cases that were decided at more or less the same time in South African and in the United States. The South African case concerned a 12 year old girl who prevailed on two strangers to kill her grandmother, and the American case was that of a 12 year old boy, Christopher Pittman, who shot and killed his grandparents. The South African girl (and in South Africa the names of juvenile offenders are not made public) was placed under probation under strict conditions. Christopher Pittman received two prison sentences of 30 years which were to be served concurrently. The decision in the South African case was informed by international standards of juvenile justice, that are based on the best-interests-of-the-child paradigm, and which opposes the sentencing of juveniles to imprisonment. Christopher Pittman was prosecuted as though he were an adult and 30 years imprisonment is the minimum sentence for murder in the state of Virginia. Prosecuting juveniles as though they were adults violates the most fundamental principles of justice and is for that reason not part of South African law. Criminal liability is based in part on the blameworthiness or culpability of the offender, and tender age is in itself signifies reduced culpability. In South Africa, minimum sentences do not apply to juvenile offenders.The United States has been condemned on many occasions by international tribunals for not upholding internationally recognized principles of criminal justice. The problem is essentially one of federalism. Juvenile justice falls within the jurisdiction of states, and in all states juveniles can be prosecuted as though they were adults. The decision to prosecute a juvenile as an adult is almost exclusively based on the nature of the crime and not on the accountability of the child. The different rules that apply in the different states to basic rules of human rights have also prompted the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights to condemn the United States for not upholding the principle of equal justice. In international law, the United States constitutes a single sovereignty and differences in respect of basic human rights in the laws and practices of the state s therefore violate the international norm of equal protection. This is not a matter that can be remedied, it would seem: If the federal legislature were to enact legislation to bring the juvenile justice systems of the states into conformity with international standards, the legislation will constitute an unconstitutional infringement of the rights of the states; and the U.S. Supreme Court cannot outlaw the prosecution of juveniles as adults because the practice of doing so is upheld in every single state and can therefore not be declared “unusual” within the meaning of the Eighth Amendment.
Recurrent chimeric fusion RNAs in non-cancer tissues and cells

Gene fusions and their products (RNA and protein) were once thought to be unique features to cancer. However, chimeric RNAs can also be found in normal cells. Here, we performed, curated and analyzed nearly 300 RNA-Seq libraries covering 30 different non-neoplastic human tissues and cells as well as 15 mouse tissues. A large number of fusion transcripts were found. Most fusions were detected only once, while 291 were seen in more than one sample. We focused on the recurrent fusions and performed RNA and protein level validations on a subset. We characterized these fusions based on various features of the fusions, and their parental genes. They tend to be expressed at higher levels relative to their parental genes than the non-recurrent ones. Over half of the recurrent fusions involve neighboring genes transcribing in the same direction. A few sequence motifs were found enriched close to the fusion junction sites. We performed functional analyses on a few widely expressed fusions, and found that silencing them resulted in dramatic reduction in normal cell growth and/or motility. Most chimeras use canonical splicing sites, thus are likely products of 'intergenic splicing'. We also explored the implications of these non-pathological fusions in cancer and in evolution.
Current Therapeutic Approaches to Viral Hepatitis

This article will deal primarily with therapy for infections caused by the five hepatotropic viruses: hepatitis viruses A through E. As this designation implies, the target organ of infection for the five hepatitis viruses is the liver, and the major damage wrought by these viruses is to the liver. However, important considerations in differential diagnosis, including autoimmune hepatitis, will be discussed. First, I will tersely consider the significant aspects of the pathogenesis and molecular virology of these viruses that are fundamental to the understanding of current approaches to therapy.
Ensuring safe and economical use of elastomeric infusion devices

We thank Dr. Pepin et al. for their insightful comments. Our institution encountered all of the challenges that they mention, though we were not able to discuss all of them in our article because of space limitations. We chose to avoid confusion arising from the wide range of On-Q pump size and
Activity of trastuzumab-emtansine (TDM1) in HER2-positive breast cancer brain metastases: A case series

The incidence of breast cancer brain metastasis (BCBM) is increasing due in part to improved management of systemic disease and prolonged survival. Despite this growing population of patients, there exists little consensus for the treatment of HER2-positive BCBM. Lapatinib, the only brain permeable targeted agent for HER2-positive cancer, has demonstrated limited intracranial response rates and little improvement in progression free survival (PFS) for HER-2 positive patients. Size constraints are believed to prevent larger monoclonal antibodies, such as pertuzumab and trastuzumab, from crossing the blood brain barrier (BBB). However, emerging evidence reveals that the BBB is perturbed in the setting of metastases, allowing for improved penetrance of these larger targeted agents. The disrupted BBB may allow for passage of ado-trastuzumab emtansine (TDM1), though little clinical information about its activity in BCBM patients is currently known.
An Evaluation of the Technical Adequacy of a Revised Measure of Quality Indicators of Transition

This study confirmed the reliability and validity of the Quality Indicators of Exemplary Transition Programs Needs Assessment–2 (QI-2). Quality transition program indicators were identified through...
Control of Sweetpotato Whitefly Adults with Foliar Insecticide Alternatives in Spring Cantaloupes, 2014

The objective of this trial was to evaluate the efficacy of several alternative insecticides against adult sweetpotato whiteflies and the associated incidence of cucurbit yellows stunting disorder virus (CYSDV) in fall melons. Cantaloupe plots planted with “Navigator” were established at the Yuma Agricultural Center on 15 August 2014 and managed similarly to local growing practices. Plots consisted of a single 84-inch bed, 45 ft in length with a 7 ft buffer between each plot. The study was designed as an RCB design with four replicates per treatment. Product formulations and rates are shown in Table 1 and 2. All treatments, except the nontreated control, were treated with an at-planting, soil application …
Targeted DNA Region Re-sequencing

Although massively parallel sequencing (MPS) allows researchers to obtain huge amounts of data at low cost compared to Sanger sequencing, current costs and computational constraints for whole genome sequencing and analysis generally prohibit phylogenomic and population genomic studies of non-model organisms and species with large, complex genomes. Therefore, new methods have been developed to select specific genomic regions for re-sequencing. Many of these methods can be applied to non-model organisms or species with very few genetic resources. Choosing which method to use for the study system of interest often depends on a variety of factors. In this chapter, we describe various re-sequencing methods with a focus on target enrichment. Additionally, we lay out experimental design considerations, bioinformatics pipelines, and proper reporting of results for target enrichment.
Tribute to the Honorable Rex E. Lee Solicitor General of the United States 1981-85

Rex Lee had the daunting task of opening a new law school. He carried this burden with minimal experience in legal education. Lee used his gift for making everyone that he met feel like a close friend to recruit an exceptional faculty. An impressive student body followed. The Brigham Young Law School is now a greatly respected institution thanks to the path that Rex Lee paved.
Reproductive steroids in the bovine. VI. Changes and interrelationships from 0 to 260 days of pregnancy.

Summary Urine and blood samples were collected from nine pregnant dairy cows on days 0, 7, 14, 19, 28, 35, 42, 65, 95, 125, 155, 185, 200, 215, 230, 245 and 260 days after breeding. The cows subsequently delivered heathy single offspring. The objectives were to evaluate in- terrelationships between rates of excretion of estrogens in urine and concentrations of pro- gesterone, luteinizing hormone (LH), corti- costerone and cortisol in jugular blood plasma. The first significant change in rate of ex- cretion of urinary estrogens was an increase in estradiol-17a on day 42 as compared to day 35 and day 65. After day 65 rates of excretion of estradiol-17~ (P<.01) and estrone (P< .05) accelerated and were 20-fold and 6-fold higher, respectively, by day 230. Differences in rate of excretion of estradiol-17fl between days were significant (P<.05) and generally but not consistently higher after midpreg- nancy. Levels of plasma LH decreased (P<.01) and progesterone increased (P<.05) from day 0 to day 7. Levels of plasma LH did not change after day 7 and the corticoids did not increase significantly (P<.25) from 0 to 260 days of pregnancy. Plasma progester- one increased (P<.01) from day 7 (9 ng/ml) to day 42 (20 ng/ml), decreased from day 42 to day 125 (10 ng/ml; P<.01) and then gen- erally increased to the maximum average level (26 ng/ml) on day 245 (P<.01) before de- creasing to 14 ng/ml on day 260 (P<.01). Partial regressions, derived by multiple re- gression analysis including the hormones and days as independent variables were used to define hormone interrelationships. Plasma pro- gesterone was positively related (P<.05) to urinary estradiol-17p from 7 to 42 days and was negatively related (P<.10) to LH from 42 to 260 days. The partial regressions for estradiol-17~ (positive) and estrone (nega- tive) were significant (P<.01) during 7 to 260 days of gestation when plasma cortisol was the dependent variable. Literature Cited Amoroso, E. C. I952. Placentation. In A. S. Parkes (Ed.). Marshall's Physiology of Reproduction. Vol. II. Longman, Green, London. Biomedical Computer Programs. 1964. W. J. Dixon (Ed.). Health Sciences Computing Facility, De- partment of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, School of Medicine, University of Cali- fornia, Los Angeles. Bowerman, A. M., L. L. Anderson and R. M. Mel- ampy. 1964. Urinary estrogens in cycling, pregnant, ovariectomized and hysterectomized gilts. Iowa State J. Sci. 38:437. Edgerton, L. A. and R. E. Erb. 1971a. Metabolites of orogesterone and estrogen in domestic sow urine. I. Effect of pregnancy. J. Anita. Sci. 32:515. Edgerton, L. A. and R. E. Erb. 1971b. Metabolites of progesterone and estrogen in domestic sow urine. II. Changes pre- and postpartum and effect of feeding 6 methyl-17-acetoxy-progesterone. J. Anim. Sci. 32:930. Erb, R. E., V. L. Estergreen, Jr., W. R. Gomes, E. D. Plotka and O. L. Frost. 1968a. Progestin levels in corpora htea and progesterone in ovarian venous Downloaded from jas.fass.org
Comparing primate crania: The importance of fossils.

Objectives Extant primate crania represent a small subset of primate crania that have existed. The main objective here is to examine how the inclusion of fossil crania changes our understanding of primate cranial diversity relative to analyses of extant primates. We hypothesize that fossil taxa will change the major axes of cranial shape, occupy new areas of morphospace, change the relative diversity of major primate clades, and fill in notable gaps separating major primate taxa/clades. Materials and Methods Eighteen 3D landmarks were collected on 157 extant and fossil crania representing 90 genera. Data were subjected to a Generalized Procrustes Analysis then principal components analysis. Relative diversity between clades was assessed using an F-statistic. Results Fossil taxa do not significantly alter major axes of cranial shape, but they do occupy unique areas of morphospace, change the relative diversity between clades, and fill in notable gaps in primate cranial evolution. Strepsirrhines remain significantly less diverse than anthropoids. Fossil hominins fill the gap in cranial morphospace between extant great apes and modern humans. Discussion The morphospace outlined by living primates largely includes that occupied by fossil taxa, suggesting that the cranial diversity of living primates generally encompasses the total diversity that has evolved in this Order. The evolution of the anthropoid cranium was a significant event allowing anthropoids to achieve significantly greater cranial diversity compared to strepsirrhines. Fossil taxa fill in notable gaps within and between clades, highlighting their transitional nature and eliminating the appearance of large morphological distances between extant taxa, particularly in the case of extant hominids.
History of development agencies — Purpose and effectiveness

This chapter focuses on the purpose and effectiveness of various development agencies in the United States. The longest concentrated effort to create and maintain such groups began in 1933 and continues through today. Federal aid was made indirectly contingent upon the states creating planning boards in the 1930s. Most states responded to the pressure and created the suggested agencies. A pattern of legislation, balanced between suggestive and real authority, finally evolved the present-day state planning agencies. Tennessee's agency has been the model for many others and was modeled after TVA suggestions. Planning agencies are usually assigned duties in the fields of: city budgets; public works; zoning; municipal services, capacity and location; roads; and industrial development. The natural integration of these functions force the industrial development economist to consider all the functions of a planning commission before sound recommendations can be made about industrial development. Yet a large number of planning agencies deal with industrial development alone, the other functions having been gradually discarded as not showing sufficient monetary return to warrant legislatures renewing appropriations. This chapter also discusses about the functions of industrial development agencies. The chapter also elaborates how to analyze a local economy and develop its potential.