cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Technical Note: Longitudinal Performance Stratification-An Iterative Kolmogorov-Smirnov Approach

The stratification of entities into statistically distinct levels of performance over time is a problem encountered in a number of research and management settings. Traditional techniques to address this issue e.g., cluster analysis often require, either ex ante or ex post, the exogenous specification of the number of groups to be employed in further analysis-and are not especially suited to dealing with distributions over time. The methodology presented here iteratively applies the Kolmogorov-Smirnov two-sample test to identify the number and membership of statistically significantly different performance strata on a longitudinal basis. Monte Carlo simulations compare the new methodology with traditional clustering techniques. An application that stratifies mutual funds by returns illustrates the technique.
Enhancing the analysis of variance (ANOVA) technique with graphical analysis and its application to wafer processing equipment

One of the critical steps required to improve the overall quality of a wafer manufacturing operation is a reduction in the variability of the individual processing operations. As a result, there is an increasing need to quantify the capabilities of semiconductor manufacturing equipment. The goal should be to design a consistent method of monitoring equipment performance that samples the major sources of variation that can impact the process output. This paper discusses a statistical method that utilizes multi vari analysis and the analysis of variance to achieve this goal. The data presented is taken from a commercially available silicon epitaxial reactor and FTIR film measurement tool, but the technique is generic and applicable to other wafer processing operations. The analysis method is presented along with some examples of the application of the calculated standard deviation and process variation. In addition to determining the performance of a piece of equipment over time, this method of analysis can be used to specify and qualify equipment. As an extension of this analysis it is possible to determine the contribution of the measurement system to the observed variability in the process output. >
Exposure to violence, student fear, and low academic achievement: African American males in the critical transition to high school

article i nfo High rates of exposure to violence and poor school outcomes are well established among African American males. In the current study, exposures to violence in the school and neighborhood and parent factors were examined as predictors of school outcomes among a sample of ninth-grade African American males in the critical transition to high school. Spencer's Phenomenological Variant Ecological Systems Theory (PVEST) was used to conceptualize individual experiences with violence. This research builds on existing work by examining factors that mediate the relation between violence exposure and school-related outcomes. A structural equation modeling strategy revealed that exposure to violence predicted decreased feelings of safety in the school and neighborhood and lower levels of parental support and involvement in school, which, in turn, was associated with lower student self-esteem and academic success.
Formation of Methotrexate Polyglutamates in Rat Hepatocytes

Polyglutamate derivatives of [3H]methotrexate (MTX) were detected in freshly isolated rat hepatocytes in suspension within 15 min after exposure to the folate analog. The rate of polyglutamate synthesis remained constant for at least one hr, and the polyglutamate derivatives accounted for an increasing proportion of the intracellular radiolabel with time. After initial exposure to 1 µm [3H]MTX, polyglutamate derivatives of MTX continued to be synthesized even after the extracellular [3H]MTX concentration had been reduced 20-fold. Prolonged exposure of hepatocytes in primary culture to 1 µm [3H]MTX resulted in the formation of longer-chain polyglutamate derivatives of MTX. The present studies demonstrate another important biosynthetic capacity of the freshly isolated hepatocyte and suggest the usefulness of this system for studying the mechanism of, and controlling factors in, the synthesis of polyglutamate derivatives of MTX. The ramifications of the formation of MTX polyglutamates on drug cytotoxicity in general and hepatotoxicity in particular are considered.
Theoretical study of the response of InGaAs metal-semiconductor-metal photodetectors

We present a theoretical investigation of the response of metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) photodetectors made of InGaAs lattice-matched to InP using a two-dimensional drift-diffusion model with a thermionic-field emission boundary condition for the heterojunctions. The effect of including a top InAlAs layer to increase the effective barrier height of the metal fingers on the InGaAs active layer is thoroughly examined and found to limit the collection of the photocurrent signal due to the electron and hole barriers that it forms with InGaAs. Due to the thickness and height of the InAlAs barrier layer in existing designs, the tunneling current obtained from the model is found to be negligibly small to significantly affect the output signal current. In an attempt to obtain a better response, different design structures including one where a quasi-Schottky contact is utilized are studied and their speed of response, breakdown voltage, and dark current are compared to that of the usual InGaAs device. >
Effect of carbonic anhydrase on the facilitated diffusion of CO2 through bicarbonate solutions.

Over the last 10 years, several groups have given experimental evidence that carbon dioxide diffusion in aqueous solutions can be augmented by the presence of base, buffers, and catalysts for the hydration reaction of carbon dioxide with water (1,2,3). Although the mechanism for this augmentation has been presumed to be a carrier type of facilitation, no previous experimental study has covered a wide range of facilitation factors (augmented flux/ Fick’s Law flux) and at the same time presented a solution to the mathematical model which can be used to calculate the expected transport rates. This paper summarizes some of our efforts in this direction.
Forward Pruning for Approximation and Flexible Computation, Part I: Single-Agent Combinatorial Optimization

One of the straightforward methods for speeding up the process of searching for a solution in the large state space of a complex problem is to prune some search alternatives before exploring them. Search methods that use such a pruning mechanism can be categorized as forward pruning methods. Forward pruning can be found in both single-agent and multiagent problemsolving domains. This chapter focuses on single-agent forward pruning, and the next chapter considers forward pruning for multiple-agent game search.
Enabling Convex Energy Bids for Flexible Ramp Product via Smart Local Automation

Abstract Electricity markets, for the purpose of dispatch, approximate non-linear generator dynamics by a constant ramp rate R MW/10 min. The scalar R enables generator serving entity (GSE) to submit convex energy bids. Given the high penetration of renewable energy resources in US utilities, particularly California and Mid-West Independent System Operators (ISO), hard-to-predict wind ramps within the operating hour necessitate frequent ramping of generators, also known as load-following. A generator’s non-linear energy conversion dynamics varies widely over the operating hour. Consequently, the assumption of a constant rate R is often violated under fast changing operating conditions. In this paper, we propose a smart local automation on a non-linear energy conversion model of a coal-fired steam turbine. The proposed controller enables an improved and a near-linear dynamic response, ensuring fulfillment of convex bids.
Public Policy, Censorship, and First Amendment Issues

Politicians and advocacy groups concerned about media effects have often turned toward legislation and other public policy efforts to combat what they feel are pernicious public health concerns. This chapter details efforts to curtail, regulate, or censor media, particularly in industrialized democratic nations which have to balance such efforts against free speech concerns. In many cases, proponents of regulation or censorship distort or exaggerate the evidence for media effects to promote an atmosphere of fear conducive to support of legislation. However, across the twentieth century, the general trend in public policy has gradually favored freedom of speech and become increasingly critical of arguments for media effects. These issues and trends are discussed within this chapter.
Response to "does lower extremity elevation reduce thromboembolism risk after abdominoplasty?".

The authors wish to thank Dr Swanson for his thorough review of our article.1 He makes some good points regarding the etiology and prevention of thromboembolism. Dr Swanson …
Short-term environmental enrichment enhances synaptic plasticity in hippocampal slices from aged rats

Age-associated changes in cognition are mirrored by impairments in cellular models of memory and learning, such as long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD). In young rodents, environmental enrichment (EE) can enhance memory, alter LTP and LTD, as well as reverse cognitive deficits induced by aging. Whether short-term EE can benefit cognition and synaptic plasticity in aged rodents is unclear. Here, we tested if short-term EE could overcome age-associated impairments in induction of LTP and LTD. LTP and LTD could not be induced in the CA1 region of hippocampal slices in control, aged rats using standard stimuli that are highly effective in young rats. However, exposure of aged littermates to EE for three weeks enabled successful induction of LTP and LTD. EE-facilitated LTP was dependent upon N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors (NMDARs). These alterations in synaptic plasticity occurred with elevated levels of phosphorylated cAMP response element-binding protein and vascular endothelial growth factor, but in the absence of changes in several other synaptic and cellular markers. Importantly, our study suggests that even a relatively short period of EE is sufficient to alter synaptic plasticity and molecular markers linked to cognitive function in aged animals.
Nation, Gender, and Beyond in Mansilla’s Recuerdos de viaje

AbstractEduarda Mansilla’s travelogue Recuerdos de viaje represents a gateway for our understanding of nineteenth-century upper-class Argentinian women’s struggle to articulate their position in the nation in the absence of legal rights as citizens. As inhabitants rather than members of the nation, women engaged critically with national imaginaries. Their writings expressed allegiances which transcended national borders, as was Mansilla’s case. Although a successful writer, she faced prejudiced, gendered attitudes towards her work. To boost her authority and legitimize her discourse on nation, in Recuerdos de viaje, Mansilla represents herself as a respected and sought-after habitue of European and North American elite circles. Albeit a successful strategy, her multiple identifications create a tension in her position vis-a-vis her nation and beyond. I argue that she becomes a displaced subject who identifies with Argentina and other countries only to a degree, unable to belong definitively to any of the ...
Touring Operational Carceral Facilities as a Pedagogical Tool: An Ethical Inquiry

Every semester, instructors of both undergraduate and graduate courses in criminology, sociology and similar disciplines organize tours of operational carceral facilities for their students. It is considered common practice and even expected as part of the curriculum in many universities. In the USA, even some secondary school teachers take their teenage students to tour working prisons and jails. These tours must be organized with prison administrators and are conducted according to strict guidelines. As students enter the carceral facility, they undergo a ‘training’ in which they are warned about the dangers they may encounter and the procedures they must follow. They are typically instructed to stay with their guide, keep against a wall as they move from one section of the building to the next, and avoid any contact with prisoners, including exchanging greetings, engaging in conversation or even making eye contact.
A blocking of Janus kinase signaling might provoke growth inhibition through multiple signal pathways in head and neck cancer cells

2307 An aromatic sulfonamide, E7820 (Eisai Co., Ltd., Tsukuba-shi, Japan), shown to have antiangiogenic activity, demonstrated a differential cytotoxicity profile in the 60 cell line panel of the NCI Anti-cancer Drug Screen. The biological response profile of E7820 was similar to CQS (chloroquinoxaline sulfonamide; PCC=0.70) by COMPARE analysis. CQS is a topoisomerase-IIα and -β poison which underwent phase I testing. In our in vivo studies, E7820 has significantly inhibited growth of HCT116 human colon tumor xenografts at a variety of doses. Thus, in order to explore mechanisms underlying the activity of E7820, transcriptional profiles were generated for HCT-116 cells treated with E7820, CQS, and etoposide, another known topoisomerase II inhibitor. DKK-1, a gene whose protein inhibits Wnt signaling, was induced by E7820 and CQS but not etoposide, indicating the possibility that β-catenin translocation to the nucleus would be inhibited. However, immunofluorescent microscopy revealed that E7820 and CQS treatment augmented β-catenin translocation in HCT-116 cells. Moreover, the lack of inhibition of translocation was also confirmed in the APC mutant colon cell line SW480. It is notable that no change in the protein expression of β-catenin target genes, cyclin D and c-myc was found, but both p53 protein levels and nuclear translocation were increased by treatment with E7820 and CQS. As a positive control, the lithium chloride response was found to be intact. Lastly, we determined there was no difference in E7820 induced cytotoxicity in HCT-116 cell lines expressing exclusively wild type or mutant β-catenin. Taken together, these findings suggested that DKK-1 involvement in E7820 cytotoxicity might be through a non-canonical Wnt pathway linked to cytoskeletal regulation, corroborated further by the observation that E7820 and CQS induced actin and actin binding genes. Staining with TRITC-phalloidin for actin and DAPI for DNA revealed increased actin fibers (as early as 2 hrs), and double nuclei. In comparison, HCT-116 cells treated with the actin inhibitors, dolastatin 11 and jaskaplinolide, displayed characteristic aggregation post treatment. Because actin regulates cytokinetic events, the mitotic spindle and nuclei were examined in drug treated cells. Immunofluorescent staining for α-tubulin revealed structures consistent with monopolar spindles in cells treated with both agents. Cell cycle analysis will be presented. In summary, E7820, a unique sulfonamide entering clinical trials, may disrupt signaling associated with microfilaments and microtubules in the non-canonical Wnt pathway that regulates migration and differentiation.
The roles of the private and public sectors in poverty reduction

There are two major actors involved in tackling the challenge of poverty: private businesses and government. Unfortunately, both actors have tended to view each other through the lens of negative s...
Interpersonal mindfulness training for well-being: A pilot study with psychology graduate students.

Background/ContextAlthough mindfulness originated in Eastern meditation traditions, notably Buddhism, researchers, clinicians, and, more recently, educators suggest that the cultivation of mindfuln...
Frozen section evaluation via dynamic real-time nonrobotic telepathology system in a university cancer center by resident/faculty cooperation team.

Summary Frozen section telepathology interpretation experience has been largely limited to practices with locations significantly distant from one another with sporadic need for frozen section diagnosis. In 2010, we established a real-time nonrobotic telepathology system in a very active cancer center for daily frozen section service. Herein, we evaluate its accuracy compared to direct microscopic interpretation performed in the main hospital by the same faculty and its cost-efficiency over a 1-year period. From 643 (1,416 parts) cases requiring intraoperative consultation, 333 cases (690 parts) were examined by telepathology and 310 cases (726 parts) by direct microscopy. Corresponding discrepancy rates were 2.6% (18 cases: 6 [0.9%] sampling and 12 [1.7%] diagnostic errors) and 3.2% (23 cases: 8 [1.1%] sampling and 15 [2.1%] diagnostic errors), P = .63. The sensitivity and specificity of intraoperative frozen diagnosis were 0.92 and 0.99, respectively, in telepathology and 0.90 and 0.99, respectively, in direct microscopy. There was no correlation of error incidence with postgraduate year level of residents involved in the telepathology service. Cost analysis indicated that the time saved by telepathology was $19,691.00 over 1 year of the study period, whereas the capital cost for establishing the system was $8,924.00. Thus, real-time nonrobotic telepathology is a reliable and easy-to-use tool for frozen section evaluation in busy clinical settings, especially when frozen section service involves more than one hospital, and it is cost-efficient when travel is a component of the service.
Radioisotope Thin Films for Microsystems

Radioisotopes can be employed in microsystems in a variety of ways to exploit the many unique properties of radioactivity:1. The kinetic energy of the emitted radiation can be converted into electrical energy for micropower generation 2. The energetic charged particles emitted can be directly collected and charge-separation based electrostatic actuation of cantilevers can be enabled for autonomous sensors 3. The near constant probability of decay of nuclei could be utilized for realizing frequency standards.
Extracellular Matrices of the Developing Chick Retina and Cornea Localization of mRNAs for Collagen Types II and IX by in Situ Hybridization

In the embryonic avian eye, the vitreous and the primary corneal stroma are composed in part of collagen types II and IX. Previous biochemical and immunohistochemical studies have suggested that the production of these molecules changes dramatically during development. In the current investigation, we employed in situ hybridization to determine the temporospatial distribution of the messenger ribonucleic acids (mRNAs) for these collagens in the eyes of selected stages of chick embryos. Our observations suggest that through much of development, the ciliary region is the major source for the production of the collagens found within the vitreous. For the cornea, they confirm that both collagen mRNAs are indeed present, and suggest that each is independently regulated.
Cognitive Errors in Youth with Anxiety Disorders: The Linkages Between Negative Cognitive Errors and Anxious Symptoms

This study examined the linkages between negative cognitive errors and anxiety in a sample of children and adolescents referred for anxiety problems (N 251). The Children’s Negative Cognitive Error Questionnaire was used to assess cognitive errors and several self-report measures of anxiety were used to examine the specific linkages between cognitive errors and different aspects of children’s anxiety phenomenology. Results indicated that each of the measures of anxiety (i.e., trait anxiety, manifest anxiety, and anxiety sensitivity) were significantly related to each of the cognitive errors examined (i.e., catastrophizing, overgeneralization, personalizing, and selective
The Unexpected Rapid Intensification of Tropical Cyclones in Moderate Vertical Wind Shear. Part II: Vortex Tilt

AbstractWe investigate a class of tropical cyclones (TCs) that undergo rapid intensification (RI) in moderate vertical wind shear through analysis of a series of idealized model simulations. Two ke...
The Caregiver of Copenhagen: Kierkegaard’s Reeducation of the Age of Information

This chapter explores Kierkegaard’s of critique the forms of life that shape observers—who passively know and are unable to act. Kierkegaard roots this cultural complex in various writing technologies. These technologies of speed and ease obscure the slow violence of the gradual degradation of cities and the slow shaping of selves. Kierkegaard, by contrast, sought to write texts, like Fear and Trembling, that frustrated the expectations of the observer and cultivated attention and responsiveness, and Practice in Christianity, that presented Christ as a path to be followed rather than as a doctrine to be accepted. This pedagogy addresses those who think they are wise to illuminate the injustice of their ways and open alternatives.
Putting Image Manipulations in Context: Robustness Testing for Safe Perception

We introduce a method to evaluate the robustness of perception systems to the wide variety of conditions that a deployed system will encounter. Using person detection as a sample safety-critical application, we evaluate the robustness of several state-of-the-art perception systems to a variety of common image perturbations and degradations. We introduce two novel image perturbations that use “contextual information” (in the form of stereo image data) to perform more physically-realistic simulation of haze and defocus effects. For both standard and contextual mutations, we show cases where performance drops catastrophically in response to barely-perceptible changes. We also show how robustness to contextual mutators can be predicted without the associated contextual information in some cases.
Implementation of Solar Diffuse CIE Model in Ray Tracing Program for Irradiance Calculations

In this work, an accurate representation of the sky radiance has been created in MATLAB using the diffuse daylight standard CIE model and exported to ray tracing software for non-sequential optical simulations. This first-order optical model can be applied to most locations at any time of the day and takes into account the weather conditions and cloud distribution. The solar spectrum is incorporated to take into account wavelength-dependent optical effects present in solar energy applications where diffuse sunlight collection is relevant.
Aerosol Layer Height over Water via Oxygen A-Band Observations from Space: A Tutorial

Aerosols are a highly problematic area in climate science for several reasons. On the one hand, they are at least partially anthropogenic, originating from industrial facilities spewing pollution as well as agricultural activity, seasonal biomass burning, land-use change, and even wood-stove cooking in densely populated regions. On the other hand, aerosols interact in very poorly understood ways with clouds and hence, indirectly, the climate system as a whole (Boucher and Randall 2014).
P-032 Effect of defuse-3 and dawn trials on patient outcomes and stroke center volumes

Background and purpose Recent results from DEFUSE-3 and DAWN trials support the use of endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) in selected patients beyond the conventional 6 hour time window. In this work, we estimate the impact of these trials on stroke center volumes and population-level clinical outcomes. Methods In MATLAB 2017a Simulink, we simulated extending EVT eligibility in a system comprising one primary stroke center (PSC) and one comprehensive stroke center (CSC), using three different routing paradigms. In the Nearest Center paradigm, patients are initially sent to the nearest center regardless of capability, while in EVT First, patients are sent to the nearest EVT-capable center. In Rhode Island, patients with FAST-ED ≥4 are sent to an EVT-capable center, while the others are sent to the nearest center. Good clinical outcome, defined as mRS 0–2, is determined by type and timing of treatment using associated clinical trial data. Results In both EVT First and Rhode Island paradigms, extending the EVT time window increases patients receiving EVT from 40.1% to 50.2%, a relative increase of 25.0%, and increases good clinical outcomes from 43.0% to 43.8%. In the Nearest Center paradigm, extending the EVT time window increases patients receiving EVT from 39.8% to 49.9%, a relative increase of 25.4%, and increases good clinical outcomes from 42.0% to 42.7%. Conclusion Extending the EVT time window in accordance with DEFUSE-3 and DAWN trial criteria increases the volume of EVT by approximately 25% and modestly improves population-level clinical outcomes. Disclosures M. Zhou: None. A. Kansagra: None.
Evolving the Next Generation of Distribution Analysis Tools

Distribution power systems are evolving due to the incorporation of emerging technologies such as intelligent electronic devices, smart inverters and distributed energy resources requiring distribution engineers to have access to power system analysis tools that support the changing design and time-based features of such systems. The power system analysis tools should harmonize the new technologies in a way that autonomous and interconnected systems can be automated, simultaneously operated and visualized for maximum grid benefit by distribution engineers.Classic analysis based on static snapshots of loading is an inadequate practice for scheduling future investments in distribution systems and distribution management systems. This is a common practice that has been used for decades to maintain power systems over time. However, the needs of future systems require the integration of modern computing technologies and interfaces with advanced distribution system analysis. This accelerates the analysis and providing to the distribution engineer the information to make the right choice.In this paper, we discuss the needs mentioned above, and propose a flexible framework to support the development of distribution systems analysis. This multidisciplinary framework is supported by a set of open source tools developed by EPRI and other parties for presenting a modular approach to enable the next generation of distribution system analysis tools. These tools have been developed to advance the capabilities EPRI’s Open Source Distribution System Simulator OpenDSS to guide the industry on the distribution power system analysis tools and techniques.
Implementation of a simple clinical linear accelerator beam model in MCNP6 and comparison with measured beam characteristics.

Abstract Monte Carlo N-Particle 6 (MCNP6) is the latest version of Los Alamos National Laboratory's powerful Monte Carlo software designed to compute general photon, neutron, and electron transport using stochastic algorithms. Here we provide a case study of modeling the photon beam of a Varian 600C Clinical Linear Accelerator (linac), which is used to deliver radiation therapy, along with a comparison to experimentally measured beam characteristics. The source definition parameters in MCNP6, including the energy spectrum and angular spectrum of the photons, secondary and tertiary collimators, and a water phantom that tallied dose delivered at different points along the phantom are included. The experimental data for comparison was in the form of a percent depth dose curve as well as crossline and inline beam profiles. Experimental depth dose curve and beam profiles were acquired using a standard 0.125 cc ion chamber within a water phantom. In the computational model, the simulated depth dose curve was computed by tallying the total energy deposited in a stack of vertical slices down the depth of the phantom for percent depth dose curves. The simulated beam profiles were computed in a similar fashion, by tallying the energy deposited in a horizontal row, both in the x- and y-directions of cubic cells located at various depths. For the percent depth dose curve, a mean absolute percentage difference of 1.02%, 1.07%, and 1.94% were calculated for field sizes of 5 × 5 cm2, 10 × 10 cm2 and 20 × 20 cm2, respectively, between the model and experimental measurements were calculated. We present our model as an example to guide other MCNP6 users in the medical physics community to create similar beam models for biomedical dose estimation and research calculations for predicting dose to newly developed phantoms.
Bayesian Shear Wave Speed Reconstruction with an On-Axis ARFI Prior

Shear wave elasticity image quality can be degraded by poor signal-to-noise ratio or spatial resolution due to low shear wave amplitudes and reconstruction kernel size. A framework is presented for incorporating additional information about relative stiffness, based on the on-axis ARFI displacement data, for enhanced shear wave speed reconstruction. Using Bayes’ theorem, a prior distribution describing the expected shear wave speed based on local displacement magnitudes is combined with a likelihood function, which describes the estimated speed based on the tracked shear wave data. In a phantom, the Bayesian estimator increased range of reconstructed depths by 55% compared to a conventional cross-correlation SWEI method, and decreased SWS bias compared to the ARFI-only reconstruction. The Bayesian estimator also improved visualization of in vivo prostate anatomy and prostate cancer.
Discovery of two distinct small heat shock protein (HSP) families in the desert fish Poeciliopsis.

The availability of a genetically pedigreed fish colony at the University of Connecticut has made possible a detailed investigation of the heat shock response of a Poikilothermic vertebrate. During the past 12 years, two tropical species, six desert species and numerous interspecific hybrids of viviparous fishes in the genus Poeciliopsis have been studied. In the natural environment, these animals occupy thermally distinct niches that range in latitude from southern Arizona, through the Sonora Desert of northwestern Mexico across tropical southern Mexico and Central America into Columbia in South America. The diverse habitats include: (1) relatively stable tropical rivers with narrow annual and daily temperature ranges, (2) unstable streams that cross subtropical desert where temperatures range from 4 to 40°C seasonally and undergo rapid daily changes of as much as 22°C in 3h, and (3) pristine headwaters at higher elevations in the foothills of the Sierra Madre Occidental. When we began these studies, no detailed analysis of diversity in HSP families had been attempted. In fact, many investigators considered heat shock genes to be so highly conserved evolutionarily, that a search for variation would be fruitless. This view turned out to be overly pessimistic. Our approach to exploring HSP diversity employed high resolution two-dimensional Polyacrylamide gels to display protein isoforms at the level of denatured polypeptide chains. This strategy allowed a relatively rapid screening of multiple HSP families compared with the time required to clone and sequence all of the members of even one multigene family. Analyses of protein patterns also had the advantage of screening out nonfunctional genes and allowing a comparison of the levels of expression of different isoforms.
Characterization of Oil-in-Water Emulsions Prepared from Solid-State Emulsions: Effect of Matrix and Oil Phase

Emulsions (o/w) were prepared from solid-state emulsions comprised of various matrix materials and oils and the resultant particle size properties determined. Results suggest that for those matrices that can form solid-state emulsions, the droplet size decreased as a function of time, as previously observed. The final droplet size was dependent on the oil utilized but was independent of the matrix material. The use of mineral oil resulted in the smallest droplet diameter (∼1.5 µm) while isopropyl myristate resulted in the largest droplet diameter (∼3 µm). With the exception of mineral oil, the oil/water interfacial tension was found to be directly proportional to the droplet diameter. The rate of emulsification appeared to be bi-phasic. The initial emulsification phase appeared to be independent of the matrix material while the terminal phase was a function of the matrix material. Most importantly, it was found that solid state emulsions could be prepared from a diverse, yet specific, list of matrices.
Malaysian Herbal Monograph Development and Challenges

Abstract This paper aims to examine the development processes and challenges of the Malaysian Herbal Monographs (MHM) committees in developing herbal monograph. With increasing demand in the herbal market, efforts were made under the Agriculture National Key Economic Area to identify high-value botanical drugs and to contribute to the transformation of herbal products towards nutraceuticals. The MHM committees were established to streamline the development process of the monograph with the main activity of assisting the herbal industrial sector in their product preparations. The monograph publication process consists of selection, collection and processing of raw materials, identification tests, quality control (purity and safety testing) of herbal raw materials, safety information such as toxicity tests and efficacy related information such as traditional use and pharmacological actions of herbal plants. All the information and data gathered will be verified by the committees. This publication process involves collaboration between research institutes, government regulatory bodies, universities and other government agencies to be finally endorsed by the MHM committees for industry and public viewing. However, there are many challenges faced in key areas such as sustainability of raw materials, complexity of identification tests and a lack of well documented traditional data. Therefore, it is important to identify and overcome such key challenges, to support the development pathway from monograph to pharmacopoeia.
GRAVITATIONAL LENS TIME DELAYS IN COLD DARK MATTER

In standard cold dark matter (CDM) halo models, the time delay of a gravitational lens is determined by the cold baryon mass fraction, fb ¼ � b; cold=� 0, of the visible galaxy relative to the overall halo. The observed time delays in PG 1115+080, SBS 1520+530, B1600+434, and HE 2149� 2745 give Hubble constants consistent with the Hubble Space Telescope Key Project value of H0 ¼ 72 � 8k m s � 1 Mpc � 1 only if fbe0:2 (onesided 68% confidence), which is larger than the upper bound of fb; max ¼ � b=� 0 ¼ 0:15 � 0:05 estimated from the cosmic microwave background. If all available baryons cool and fb ¼ fb; max, then the time delays imply H0 ¼ 65 � 6k m s � 1 Mpc � 1 (95% confidence). If local inventories of cold baryons, fb ’ 0:013=h70, are correct, then H0 ¼ 52 � 6k m s � 1 Mpc � 1 and the halo parameters closely match isothermal mass models. Isothermal models are also consistent with strong and weak lens studies, stellar dynamics, and X-ray observations on these scales, while significantly more centrally concentrated models are not. There is a conflict between gravitational lens time delays, the local distance scale, and standard CDM halo models. Subject headings: cosmological parameters — dark matter — distance scale — gravitational lensing
Sexual Assault Awareness in the #Metoo Era: Student Perceptions of Victim Believability and Cases in the Media

Media discussions of sexual violence have increased since the rapid growth of the social media movement #metoo. Specifically, the phrase resurfaced in abundance in 2017 when actress, producer, activist Alyssa Milano encouraged her social media followers to reply “me too” if they had ever been sexually harassed or assaulted. In addition to raising awareness, media coverage of historically silent topics such as sexual assault can be beneficial as it relates to widespread education. Conversely, widespread dissemination of sexual violence misperceptions—also known as rape myths—can perpetuate rape culture (e.g., linking sexuality to violence and the subsequent normalization of sexual violence). Therefore, this study examines student perceptions of sexual assault in the media using in-depth semi-structured interviews with 34 students and alumni. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Lightweight Measurement and Analysis of HPC Performance Variability

Performance variation deriving from hardware and software sources is common in modern scientific and data-intensive computing systems, and synchronization in parallel and distributed programs often exacerbates their impacts at scale. The decentralized and emergent effects of such variation are, unfortunately, also difficult to systematically measure, analyze, and predict; modeling assumptions which are stringent enough to make analysis tractable frequently cannot be guaranteed at meaningful application scales, and longitudinal methods at such scales can require the capture and manipulation of impractically large amounts of data. This paper describes a new, scalable, and statistically robust approach for effective modeling, measurement, and analysis of large-scale performance variation in HPC systems. Our approach avoids the need to reason about complex distributions of runtimes among large numbers of individual application processes by focusing instead on the maximum length of distributed workload intervals. We describe this approach and its implementation in MPI which makes it applicable to a diverse set of HPC workloads. We also present evaluations of these techniques for quantifying and predicting performance variation carried out on large-scale computing systems, and discuss the strengths and limitations of the underlying modeling assumptions.
Diffuse ions coordinate dynamics in a ribonucleoprotein assembly

Proper ionic concentrations are required for the functional dynamics of RNA and ribonucleoprotein (RNP) assemblies. While experimental and computational techniques have provided many insights into the properties of chelated ions, less is known about the structural/energetic contributions of diffuse ions. To address this, we present a model that is designed to identify the influence of diffuse ions on the dynamics of biomolecular assemblies. This model employs all-atom (non-H) resolution and explicit ions (monovalent and divalent), where effective potentials account for hydration effects. To benchmark the model, we show that it accurately predicts the number of excess Mg2+ ions for prototypical RNA systems. We then apply it to a bacterial ribosome and find that diffuse ions control the position of the extended L1 stalk region. The simulations also illustrate how diffuse ions facilitate long-range attraction between tRNA and the stalk region. Together, this analysis reveals the direct impact of diffuse ions on the dynamics of an RNP assembly.
Weighting waiting: Evaluating perception of in-vehicle travel time under moving and stopped conditions

Experiments are described in which traditional computer-administered stated-preference (SP) data are compared with virtual experience SP data to ascertain how people value stopped delay compared with stop-and-go or free-flow traffic. The virtual experience SP experiments were conducted by using a wraparound driving simulator. The two methods produced different results: the traditional computer-assisted SP data suggested that ramp delay is 1.6 to 1.7 times more onerous than delay on freeways, whereas the virtual experience SP data based on the driving simulator suggested that freeway delay is more onerous than ramp delay. Several factors are advanced to explain the differences, including recency, simultaneous versus sequential comparison, awareness of public opinion, intensity of the stop-and-go traffic, and the goal-directed nature of driving in the real world. However, without further research, it is unclear which, if any, of these factors will eventually prove to be the right one. What is clear is that ...
The Future of Justice: Politics, Time and the Contemporary Political Triangulation—Liberalism, Socialism and Fascism

Contemporary philosophy realizes that time, like language and embodiment, is not an obstacle to truth and reality but one of its primary mediums. Time is dimensionality, past, present, future, and directionality, before and after. Politics has its own temporality. Conservatives aim to restore a selected past; progressives to create a better future; and authoritarians to reinforce the present status quo. In each case, however, the dominant temporal dimension is the future. Time, as Levinas has shown, is also inter-subjective, that is to say, social, and as such also ethical. Hence, in some important sense politics is a struggle over time, a contention between its dimensions, to select a past, to close off a present, or to create a future. This helps us to better understand our contemporary political triangulation of liberalism, socialism and fascism. The peculiarity of fascist politics, and key to its negativity and viciousness, is that it rejects history altogether, past and future, preferring the frenzy of the moment, the violent delirium of immanence, to the short- and long-term responsibilities of justice, liberal or social.
From a Nation of Citizens to a “Nation of Nations” National Citizenship Without Depth

Constitutions are meant to bind people together. Well-designed and well-structured constitutions seek to transform strangers to co-participants in a common project of building a political community that will endure. One important means of institutional binding is citizenship or nationality as it is often referred to in international law. Citizenship is meant to signal full membership and equal standing to those who possess that rank. The moral promise of equal respect for everyone is meant to be cashed out in the legal and social currency of equal citizenship. Citizenship is also meant to perform an integrative function to ensure that citizens see themselves as co-participants in a common project. The article explores the scope and content of Ethiopian national citizenship under the current constitutional arrangement. It argues that Ethiopian national citizenship is derivative and thin and provides neither full membership to nor equal standing for all members across the land. It provides no safeguard for the autonomy of all citizens to an equal degree. The Constitution transformed a nation of citizens into a nation of nations where the central source of affiliation is not national citizenship but citizenship to the several ethnonations. The article concludes that such an arrangement does not bode well for the long-term survival of the national political community.
Toward electronic resource sharing by academic libraries : TexShare study

Abstract Resource sharing has become a driving force in the operations and policies of academic libraries due to declining budgets and the increasing cost of published materials. This paper examines the issue of resource sharing by academic libraries in two ways. First, this paper provides a brief overview and bibliography of the literature on resource sharing by academic libraries from 1979-1996, including research studies, trend and issue papers, and project reports. The most common publication was a journal article providing a descriptive report of a resource-sharing project. Second, findings are reported from a study commissioned by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to provide a preliminary evaluation of the TexShare resource sharing consortia after twelve months of operation. TexShare was initiated in September 1994 to provide a library resource-sharing program for 52 Texas public university and health institution libraries. Telephone interviews were conducted with, the 52 directors of th...
Development of an Automatic Engine Oil-Change Indicator System

To insure maximum engine life, it is essential that engine oil be changed as required. Some drivers are not aware that the oil should be changed, and others do not know how often to change it. To assist the driver in this regard, an automatic oil-change indicator was developed. In developing the oil-change indicator, it was found that oil temperature, vehicle mileage, engine resolutions, and changes in the physical and chemical properties of the oil during use all provided and indication of oil degradation. Based on these measurements, a mathematical model was developed which relates oil life to oil temperature and either vehicle mileage or engine revolutions. Computer hardware and software suitable for use in a vehicle were developed based on the mathematical model.
An Automatic System for Classification of Nuclear Sclerosis from Slit-Lamp Photographs

A robust and automatic system has been developed to detect the visual axis and extract important feature landmarks from slit-lamp photographs, and objectively grade the severity of nuclear sclerosis based on the intensities of those landmarks. Using linear regression, we first select the features that play important roles in classification, and then fit a linear grading function. We evaluated the grading function using human grades as error bounds for “ground truth” grades, and compared the machine grades with the human grades. As expected, the automatic system significantly speeds up the process of grading, and grades computed are consistent and reproducible. Machine grading time for one image is less than 2 seconds on a Pentium III 996MHz machine while human grading takes about 2 minutes. Statistical results show that the predicted grades by the system are very reliable. For the testing set of 141 images, with correct grading defined by a tolerance of one grade level difference from the human grade, the automated system has a grading accuracy of 95.8% based on the AREDS grading scale.
Purification of hydroxyquinol 1,2-dioxygenase and maleylacetate reductase: the lower pathway of 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid metabolism by Burkholderia cepacia AC1100

The enzyme hydroxyquinol 1,2-dioxygenase, which catalyzes ortho cleavage of hydroxyquinol (1,2,4-trihydroxybenzene) to produce maleylacetate, was purified from Escherichia coli cells containing the tftH gene from Burkholderia cepacia AC1100. Reduction of the double bond in maleylacetate is catalyzed by the enzyme maleylacetate reductase, which was also purified from E. coli cells, these cells containing the tftE gene from B. cepacia AC1100. The two enzymes together catalyzed the conversion of hydroxyquinol to 3-oxoadipate. The purified hydroxyquinol 1,2-dioxygenase was specific for hydroxyquinol and was not able to use catechol, tetrahydroxybenzene, 6-chlorohydroxyquinol, or 5-chlorohydroxyquinol as its substrate. The native molecular mass of hydroxyquinol 1,2-dioxygenase was 68 kDa, and the subunit size of the protein was 36 kDa, suggesting a dimeric protein of identical subunits.
Correction to "The Theory of Quaternion Orthogonal Designs" [Jan 08 256-265]

In the above titled paper (ibid., vol. 56, no. 1, pp. 256-265, Jan 08), Sebery et al. claimed that even though the dual-polarized transmission channel cannot be considered as described by means if a single quaternionic gain, the maximum-likelihood (ML) decoding rule can be decoupled for orthogonal space-time-polarization block codes (OSTPBCs) derived from quaternion orthogonal designs (QODs) [1, Sec. IV]. Regretfully, a correction is necessary, and we will show that decoupled decoding using the method presented therein is only optimal for codes derived from certain QODs, not from arbitrary QODs as previously suggested.
Quantisation noise reduction in multibit oversampling Sigma - Delta A/D convertors

It is well known that when expanding the internal quantiser of a high-order single-path oversampling Σ-Δ A/D convertor from 1 bit to n bits, the improvement of baseband quantisation noise is (n − 1) bits [1]. This result, however, ignores the enhanced stability characteristics of multibit systems. When full advantage is taken of multibit Σ-Δ modulation, baseband quantisation noise reduction much greater than 1 bit per additional quantiser bit can be achieved. To realise this in a practical system, the feedback multibit D/A must exhibit sufficiently high linearity.