cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Static Model

This chapter presents a mathematical representation of the static constructs of VHDL. This representation is referred to as the Static Model. The Static Model ignores the elaboration process and assumes that the given VHDL description has been fully elaborated and has correct syntax. It is not one-to-one with VHDL. In fact, many elements of VHDL do not appear in the model. For example, design entities are not presented in the model. They are not necessary. The model need only maintain the leaf level components (e.g., concurrent statements and their constituent subparts) and the netlist specifying their interconnections (i.e., the port hierarchy). In some instances not all of the leaf components that might be expected are present. For example, one might reasonably expect to see a tuple definition for concurrent signal assignment. However, such a tuple definition does not exist; instead, the concurrent signal assignment statement is represented using two distinct tuples, namely the selected concurrent signal assignment and the conditional concurrent signal assignment. This decomposition is easier to formally manipulate and the respective forms have distinct translations to process statements.
Survival After Surgical Resection of Stage IV Esophageal Cancer

Background Five-year survival of stage IV esophageal cancer is rare. The treatment of advanced esophageal cancer is typically palliative and the role of surgery remains controversial. We sought to understand the impact of curative surgery on survival and identify any favorable tumor or patient characteristics that might make surgical resection appropriate when treating stage IV esophageal cancer. Methods A retrospective review of 3,500 esophagectomies performed at our institution from 1985 to 2013 identified 52 (1.5%) patients with stage IV esophageal cancer who underwent surgical resection with intent for cure. In 46 (88.5%) patients, M1 disease was discovered at the time of surgery and 6 (11.5%) patients had known M1 disease prior to surgery. Results Median age at the time of surgery was 60 years (range, 31 to 81 years). The majority of patients were men (82.7%) with adenocarcinoma (88.5%). Neoadjuvant therapy was used in 18 (34.6%) patients; all patients operated on after 1999 received neoadjuvant therapy. An Ivor Lewis esophagectomy was performed in 39 (75%) patients. Follow-up was complete in all patients for a median of 324 days (range, 4 days to 8.5 years). Overall, 1-year survival was 29% and 5-year survival was 6%. There was no significant difference in survival between patients with known preoperative versus intraoperative discovery of M1 disease. Factors associated with improved survival included neoadjuvant treatment, low T stage, and lack of alcohol use. Conclusions Few patients with stage IV esophageal cancer survive long term after surgical resection, though 5-year survival can occur. Our current recommendation is that esophagectomy should not be performed for stage IV disease.
Energy-efficient and reliable 3D network-on-chip (NoC): architectures and optimization algorithms

The Network-on-Chip (NoC) paradigm has emerged as an enabler for integrating a large number of embedded cores in a single die. Three-dimensional (3D) integration, a breakthrough technology to achieve “More Moore and More Than Moore,” provides numerous benefits e.g., better performance, lower power consumption, and higher bandwidth, by utilizing vertical interconnects and 3D stacking. Energy-efficient and high-bandwidth vertical interconnects enable the design of an energy efficient 3D NoC for massive manycore platforms. Existing 3D NoCs are deficient for meeting ever-increasing performance requirements of manycore processors since they are simple extension of regular 2D architectures and they do not fully exploit the advantages provided by 3D integration. Moreover, the anticipated performance gain of a 3D NoC-enabled manycore chip will be compromised due to the potential failures of through-silicon-vias (TSVs) that are predominantly used as vertical interconnects in a 3D IC. In this paper, we present the various challenges and possible solutions for designing energy-efficient and reliable manycore chips enabled by the 3D integration.
Why Don’t More Black Americans Offend? Testing a Theory of African American Offending’s Ethnic-Racial Socialization Hypothesis:

Criminology is replete with research on the correlates of African American offending, yet theorizing efforts have lagged. Unnever and Gabbidon recently proposed a Theory of African American Offendi...
Villainous or valiant? Depictions of oil and coal in American fiction and nonfiction narratives

Abstract Energy is fundamental to human existence, and its ubiquity has allowed energy to enter cultural consciousness in a manner that is reflected in the stories that we tell ourselves and others. Modern society runs on fossil fuels like oil and coal, two resources that are frequently discussed in part due to their contribution to both positive and negative outcomes. This research uses a digital ecocritical approach to explore a corpus of 60 narratives, both fictional and nonfictional, published between 2002 and 2016 by US authors. We combine text mining methods, including sentiment analysis and topic modeling, with selected manual review of texts to posit that American narratives often depict oil as new and exciting, with associated dangers seen as tragic but thrilling. Appalachian coal, by contrast, is portrayed nostalgically, depicted as a nearly familial presence that has betrayed its communities and no longer represents security and prosperity. Thus, while oil is hypothetical and exciting, coal is real and disappointing. Latent cultural attitudes about these and other resources can provide insights as to how Americans view ongoing deployment of energy infrastructure. Further, understanding cultural context can help direct attention to issues of high significance to communities experiencing energy development.
Black Women Resident Assistants: Seeking and Serving as Bridges, Mentors, Advisors, Filters, and Community Builders

This article reports on a phenomenographic study of Black women undergraduates who were resident assistants in a predominantly White institution (PWI) of higher education. Critical race feminism, namely intersectionality, was used to explore how they navigated the responsibilities of their position and social identities. Findings are that participants navigated the resident assistant leadership role and their social identities by (a) engaging in relational service, (b) tentatively negotiating the expression of their social identities and related oppressions, and (c) seeking support responsive to their multiply intersecting social identities. How they navigated their status identities and social identities varied according to their sense of obligation to serve residents and sense of risk in expressing (some) social identities and related experiences. Recommendations for continued professional leadership development of resident assistants are provided.
12 – Stafford Act Assistance for Individuals

In addition to the Stafford Act grants that the federal government provides to state, local, or tribal governments and nonprofit organizations (see previous chapter), there is also assistance available to individuals and families who have survived disasters. In this chapter, you will learn about the multiple forms of Individual and Household Assistance, the differing eligibility rules, and the extent to which applicants may have an enforceable right to access certain of these benefits. In the context of the last question—whether a right exists—this chapter will introduce you to the concept of sovereign immunity, an immensely important area of law that will be examined in greater detail in Chapter 19.
Evolution of DWI lesions in cerebral amyloid angiopathy: Evidence for ischemia.

Objective: To address the pathophysiologic nature of small diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) lesions in patients with cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) who underwent serial MRI. Specifically, we tested (1) whether DWI lesions occurred preferentially in individuals with prior DWI lesions, (2) the cross-sectional association with chronic cortical cerebral microinfarcts (CMIs), and (3) the evolution of DWI lesions over time. Methods: Patients with probable CAA (n = 79) who underwent at least 2 MRI sessions were included. DWI lesions were assessed at each available time point. Lesion appearance and characteristics were assessed on available structural follow-up images. Presence and burden of other neuroimaging markers of small vessel disease (white matter hyperintensities, cerebral microbleeds, cortical superficial siderosis, and chronic cortical CMIs) were assessed as well. Results: Among 221 DWI scans (79 patients with 2 DWI scans; 40 with ≥3), 60 DWI lesions were found in 28 patients. Patients with DWI lesions at baseline were not more likely to have additional DWI lesions on follow-up compared to patients without DWI lesions at baseline. DWI lesions were associated with chronic cortical CMIs and cortical superficial siderosis, but not with other markers. For 39/60 DWI lesions, >1 MRI sequence was available at follow-up to determine lesion evolution. Twenty-four (62%) were demarcated as chronic lesions on follow-up MRI. Five appeared as cavitations, 18 as noncavitated infarcts, and 1 underwent hemorrhagic transformation. Conclusions: Based on their neuroimaging signature as well as their association with chronic cortical CMIs, DWI lesions appear to have an ischemic origin and represent one part of the CMI spectrum.
Choosing Corporations Over Consumers: The Financial Choice Act of 2017 and the CFPB

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is the U.S. Government’s primary regulator and civil law enforcement agency governing consumer lending, payment systems, debt collection, and other consumer financial services. Created in the wake of the financial crisis, Congress tasked the agency with stopping deceptive, unfair, and abusive consumer finance. However, Congress is currently considering legislation which would significantly change the CFPB’s law enforcement authorities. This Article analyzes the proposed Financial Choice Act of 2017 which would rename the CFPB, and eliminate many of the CFPB’s law enforcement powers. If the Financial Choice Act were the law of the United States from 2012 to 2016, how would the CFPB’s enforcement track record have changed? Drawing upon pleadings, consent orders, settlement agreements, press releases, and other public documents, this Article presents an empirical study of every publicly announced CFPB enforcement case to determine what law enforcement cases and awards would have been eliminated had the bill been law. Among the study’s findings, had the Financial Choice Act had been adopted in 2012 it would have eliminated: • Over 91 percent of consumer restitution for illegal home mortgage lending practices, amounting to $2.7 billion dollars; Over 94 percent of consumer restitution for illegal credit card practices amounting to $6.8 billion dollars; and Every single case addressing illegal practices in the “payday” and car title lending industry. The study concludes that the Financial Choice Act of 2017 will, if enacted, seriously weaken the CFPB’s law enforcement program.
The ITCZ and the Seasonal Cycle over Equatorial Africa

AbstractThe common explanation for the progression of the rainy season over Africa is the seasonal excursion of the ITCZ. The ITCZ paradigm stems from a time when tropical rainfall was assumed to be associated mainly with localized convection. Its development was also linked to the emergence of midlatitude frontal concepts. The paradigm has numerous shortcomings, including the diversity of definitions and the large number of parameters used to identify the ITCZ. A historical look at the concept shows that its use over Africa has long been controversial, with many eminent tropical meteorologists harshly criticizing its applicability over this continent. However, the seasonal excursion of the ITCZ remains the classical explanation for African rainy seasons, especially in the equatorial region. This article underscores the shortcomings of the paradigm in equatorial Africa by examining various aspects of the circulation associated with the spatial and temporal patterns of rainfall during the equatorial rainy ...
Sex, Marriage, Medicine, and Law: 'What Hope of Harmony?'

This essay offers a critique of the Kansas Supreme Court's decision in In re Estate of Gardiner, 42 P.3d 120 (Kan. 2002), and similar cases that hold that for purposes of the opposite-sex marriage rule, an individual's sex is determined at birth, is genetically fixed, and cannot be changed through surgery or hormone therapy. The result for transgendered individuals is a legal regime that is hostile to medical care that brings external sex characteristics into line with sexual identity. The result for society is a legal rule that is at odds with scientific opinion. Finally, the result for the opposite-sex marriage rule is that one type of same-sex marriage is replaced by another type of same-sex marriage (e.g., when a genetic male who undergoes sex-change therapy is permitted to marry a genetic female). The essay ends with a plea for a reconciliation of legal doctrine with established scientific and medical opinion, using the neurological criteria for the determination of death as an example of a (mostly) successful example of such a reconciliation.
Endotoxin-induced degranulation of the Limulus amebocyte

Abstract Exocytosis and gelation of the granule contents of the amebocyte of Limulus polyphemus have been studied in a perfusion chamber observed with Nomarski differential interference contrast microscopy. Degranulation in response to bacterial endotoxin or the ionophore A23187 was significantly inhibited by the anion channel blocking agents suramin, SITS, DNDS and sodium isethionate. db-cAMP, PGI2 and theophylline also succeeded in imparing degranulation of the amebocytes. All of the agents tested produced inhibition of degranulation which was readily reversed by washing the system free of the inhibitor and rechallenging the amebocytes with either endotoxin or the ionophore. After isolation in vitro, amebocytes underwent spontaneous degranulation in the absence of endotoxin at a rate 1–2 orders of magnitude slower than in the presence of endotoxin. Gelation of the clottable protein released from the amebocyte granules could occur in the absence of endotoxin. This is the first demonstration of gelation under endotoxin-free conditions.
Traditional Renal Biomarkers and New Approaches to Diagnostics

Traditional biomarkers of renal disease have a number of limitations, whether evaluating veterinary patients or performing preclinical toxicity studies. Serum creatinine and urea nitrogen are affected by nonrenal influences that limit their usefulness for detecting small but significant decreases in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in veterinary patients. These nonrenal influences can be more controlled in preclinical studies than in clinical patients; however, because of its high functional reserve, these estimates of GFR are insensitive for detecting kidney injury prior to loss of a substantial proportion of functioning nephrons. Urine biomarkers can be highly sensitive for tubular or glomerular injury that might lead to irreversible damage to the nephron. Several proteins are qualified by the Food and Drug Administration for nonclinical application as urinary biomarkers of drug-induced nephrotoxicity, and many of these also have preliminary data supporting their usefulness for kidney injury in dogs and cats. In addition to these relatively recently identified biomarkers, efforts are underway to discover new renal biomarkers using a variety of techniques including liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and small RNA sequencing. Ultimately, the interplay between preclinical studies and clinical patients in discovery and validation of renal biomarkers is critical to their successful implementation.
Cinquante nuances de pluripotence

Depuis la derivation des premieres lignees de cellules souches embryonnaires pluripotentes chez la souris au debut des annees 1980, une plethore de lignees a ete obtenue chez diverses especes de mammiferes, dont les rongeurs, les lagomorphes et les primates. Ces lignees se distinguent par leurs caracteristiques moleculaires et fonctionnelles et correspondent aux differents etats de pluripotence observes chez l’embryon, entre les stades blastocyste et gastrula. Ces lignees se repartissent le long d’un gradient, ou continuum de pluripotence, dont les deux extremites sont symbolisees par les etats appeles naif et amorce . Les cellules souches pluripotentes humaines sont dans un etat de pluripotence amorce (au bas du gradient), une position qui est sans doute la cause de leur instabilite naturelle. Les recherches recentes visent a obtenir des cellules souches pluripotentes humaines a l’etat naif (en haut du gradient). L’importance de ces recherches dans la perspective d’applications medicales est discutee dans cette revue.
Multicarrier Chirp-Division Multiplexing for Wireless Communications.

We propose a multicarrier chirp-division multiplexing (MCDM) system in which orthogonal chirp waveforms are utilized as frequency subcarriers. Orthogonal characteristics of chirp subcarriers are analyzed in respect to cross-correlation coefficients among subcarriers. Moreover, orthogonal chirp transform (OCT) is developed to implement MCDM systems. In addition, we design a low complexity receiver, including packet synchronization, carrier frequency offset compensation, channel estimation, and symbol detection. Proposed MCDM systems have both advantages of chirp waveforms and multicarrier architectures. Computational complexity of our proposed detector is discussed in detail. The bit-error-rate (BER) performance of the MCDM system is evaluated in simulations and indoor radio frequency (RF) experiments. We have demonstrated effectiveness of MCDM systems both in simulation and experimental results, comparing to orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems. Moreover, MCDM can be further applied to higher order modulations for enabling higher data rates for RF wireless communications.
Six a minute

Sitting down to write: 10:11 pm. Global AIDS deaths since 1 January 2004 as I begin to write: 2 ‘ 962 ’ 918 P VIROT/WHO As many of us see HIV/AIDS become a chronic disease akin to diabetes and hypertension in our lands, much of the world sees it ravage entire generations and communities. As the rates stabilise and begin to fall in many of our countries, other places watch the virus spread like wildfire. As future doctors, some of us will tell a person with HIV/AIDS, “Yes, we can get you started on antiretroviral therapy that should allow you to continue living a normal …
Investigations Into the Reproductive Biology of the Southern Appalachian Endemic Piratebush (Buckleya distichophylla): Pollination Biology, Fruit Development, and Seed Germination

Endemic to the mountains of Tennessee, North Carolina and Virginia, piratebush (Buckleya distichophylla, Santalaceae) is a rare, dioecious, hemi-parasitic shrub with a scattered and isolated distribution. Vegetative reproduction and few visible seedlings within the densest population of piratebush on Poor Mountain in southwest Virginia emphasize the need for research into this species' reproductive biology to inform conservation strategies. Pollination data showed no evidence for wind pollination; instead multiple diurnal floral visitors to staminate flowers were observed. Fluorescence microscopy of stigma and styles on initiated fruits revealed almost 95% with pollen deposition. Most initiated fruits (52%) had tube growth continue to the base of the style, indicating potential fertilization. Pollination experiments showed outcrossing was necessary for fruit set. Non-pollinated flowers in bags had 0% fruit development, whereas fruit development in both open pollinated (86%) (p< 0.0001) and hand pollinated (65%) treatments (p<0.0001) were significantly greater. Embryo viability analysis indicated 73% of seeds had healthy embryos. Germination trials indicated that seeds must undergo stratification for successful germination. Germination for control (70.9%) and 10 min bleach (72.6%) treatments were significantly higher than mechanically scarified fruits/seeds (27.2%), suggesting a potentially negative impact that rodent gnawing would have on seed germination. Further, evidence of heavy seed predation was observed. These results suggest that there may be sufficient pollinators, successful outcrossing and seed development, and that embryos are viable and have the potential to germinate, but imply that seed predation may be a key reproductive constraint for piratebush.
The Evolution of Siphonophore Tentilla as Specialized Tools for Prey Capture

Abstract Predators have evolved dedicated body parts to capture and subdue prey. As different predators specialize on distinct prey taxa, their tools for prey capture diverge into a variety of adaptive forms. Studying the evolution of predation is greatly facilitated by a predator clade with structures used exclusively for prey capture that present significant morphological variation. Siphonophores, a clade of colonial cnidarians, satisfy these criteria particularly well, capturing prey with their tentilla (tentacle side branches). Earlier work has shown that extant siphonophore diets correlate with the different morphologies and sizes of their tentilla and nematocysts. We hypothesize that evolutionary specialization on different prey types has driven the phenotypic evolution of these characters. To test this hypothesis, we: (1) measured multiple morphological traits from fixed siphonophore specimens using microscopy and high speed video techniques, (2) built a phylogenetic tree of 45 species, and (3) characterized the evolutionary associations between siphonophore nematocyst characters and prey type data from the literature. Our results show that siphonophore tentillum structure has strong evolutionary associations with prey type and size specialization, and suggest that shifts between prey-type specializations are linked to shifts in tentillum and nematocyst size and shape. In addition, we generated hypotheses about the diets of understudied siphonophore species based on these characters. Thus, the evolutionary history of tentilla shows that siphonophores are an example of ecological niche diversification via morphological innovation and evolution. This study contributes to understanding how morphological evolution has shaped present-day oceanic food-webs.
Insights from response to tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy in a rare myeloproliferative neoplasm with CALR mutation and BCR-ABL1.

To the editor: Calreticulin ( CALR ) mutations have been reported primarily in the context of JAK2 and MPL wild-type essential thrombocythemia and primary myelofibrosis.[1][1][⇓][2][⇓][3][⇓][4]-[5][5] CALR mutations are exceedingly rare in the setting of t(9;22)/ BCR-ABL1 ,[4][4],[5][5] with
Cannabis Expectancies for Sleep

Up to 35% of adults in the United States suffer from sleep disturbances, which covary with a host of negative mental and physical health outcomes. Previous research suggests that cannabis' sedative effects may be associated with improved sleep. The present study examined the self-reported effect of cannabis use on individual's sleep-related problems. Participants included 311 individuals recruited online, who reported both sleep-related problems and cannabis use. Analyses revealed that participants expected cannabis to decrease the incidence of sleep-related problems, including allowing participants to have an earlier bedtime, to fall asleep more quickly, and to have a longer night's sleep. Moreover, expectancies about the influence of cannabis on sleep negatively covaried with cannabis-related problems. These findings suggest that individuals believe using cannabis might positively influence their sleep quality and believing so may be protective against cannabis problems. Randomized control trials of cannabis for insomnia appear justified.
Unambiguous Scene Text Segmentation With Referring Expression Comprehension

Text instance provides valuable information for the understanding and interpretation of natural scenes. The rich precise high-level semantics embodied in the text could be beneficial for understanding the world around us, and empower a wide range of real-world applications. While most recent visual phrase grounding approaches focus on general objects, this paper explores extracting designated texts and predicting unambiguous scene text segmentation mask, i.e., scene text segmentation from natural language descriptions (referring expressions) like orange text on a little boy in black swinging a bat . The solution of this novel problem enables accurate segmentation of scene text instances from the complex background. In our proposed framework, a unified deep network jointly models visual and linguistic information by encoding both region-level and pixel-level visual features of natural scene images into spatial feature maps, and then decode them into saliency response map of text instances. To conduct quantitative evaluations, we establish a new scene text referring expression segmentation dataset: COCO-CharRef . Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed framework on the text instance segmentation task. By combining image-based visual features with language-based textual explanations, our framework outperforms baselines that are derived from state-of-the-art text localization and natural language object retrieval methods on COCO-CharRef dataset.
Etiology and Survival of Secondary Revascularizations after Hand and Digit Replantations.

Introduction Hand and digit replantations can be complicated by vascular insufficiency necessitating revision of the original replantation. To date, few studies have evaluated outcomes in secondary revascularizations following replantation. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the incidence, etiology, and survival rates following secondary revascularization after hand and digit replantations. Materials and Methods A literature search was performed on NCBI for studies documenting secondary revascularization procedures following hand and digit replant. Studies were evaluated for the etiology of vascular failure, frequency of secondary revascularization, and survival rates following intervention. Statistical analysis was conducted across the pooled dataset. Results A total of 16 studies including 1,192 amputations were analyzed. We found that 16.9% (201/1,192) of replants were complicated by vascular compromise. The frequency of vascular compromise was not statistically different between arterial and venous etiologies. The survival rate following secondary revascularization was 55.6%, with no significant difference between the arterial and venous groups. Secondary arterial revascularization was often treated with arterial revision (nine of nine studies) and/or with vein grafting (two of nine studies). Secondary revascularization for venous insufficiency resulted in different survival rates for nonsurgical modalities (58%) versus vein revision (37.5%) versus vein grafting (100%). Conclusion Survival rates following secondary revascularization are lower; however, they may be improved using vein grafts following venous insufficiency. These data can be used to better understand the etiology of replant failure and guide decision-making.
RA-MAC: A Relay Assisted MAC Protocol for Energy-efficient Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks

This paper presents the design and implementation of RA-MAC, an energy efficient protocol for Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks (UWSN). As a link layer protocol, RA-MAC focuses on the data transfer between adjacent network nodes within the transmission range. The protocol is unique in that, instead of a direct transmission, it employs intermediate notes to relay the packet to the destination. The protocol is random access based, includes a feedback mechanism designed to update the reward for make the forwarding decisions, and has minimum control message overheads. Simulation results show that RA-MAC can achieve excellent energy efficiency and that we can further improve the energy efficiency by increasing the number of relays without sacrificing the network throughput considerably. The proposed protocol is suitable for applications with high energy efficiency requirements. RA-MAC reveals a new way towards an energy efficient UWSN.
Assessing the relationship between youth religiosity and their alcohol use: A meta-analysis from 2008 to 2018.

Abstract Objective Underage alcohol use, and associated deleterious consequences, persists as a serious public health issue. In particular, early initiation of alcohol use increases risk for the development of alcohol use disorders later on in life. Religiosity – a multidimensional construct, encompassing personal beliefs, commitments, practices, and public behaviors – has demonstrated a strong protective effect on alcohol consumption; as one’s religiosity increases their alcohol use behaviors decrease. This meta-analysis includes research spanning years 2008–2018, and specifically examines whether measuring religiosity via a single dimension, as compared to multiple dimensions, impacts the association between alcohol use and religiosity. Method A systematic electronic database search spanning three databases using relevant key terms was conducted. Overall, 16 studies were deemed appropriate for subsequent analyses. Effect sizes were calculated, homogeneity of effect sizes was assessed, overall weighted effects were computed, and moderator analyses were conducted to examine the effects of study-level characteristics on the variability of effect sizes. Results Religiosity demonstrated a statistically significant protective effect on adolescent alcohol use (Z = −0.21, p Conclusion Results highlight the protective effect of youth religiosity on alcohol use. To further understand the scope of this protective association, future research would benefit from exploring the multidimensional nature of religiosity and the associations between varying conceptualizations of religiosity and adolescent alcohol use outcomes.
Noncanonical retinoic acid signaling

All-trans retinoic acid (atRA) is the principle active metabolite of Vitamin A. atRA is well known to act through nuclear RA receptors (RARs) to regulate gene expression involved in a wide spectrum of biological processes such as growth, differentiation, and function. Recently, novel activities of atRA, independent of the action of RARs, have been increasingly reported and referred to as noncanonical activities. We have determined cellular retinoic acid binding protein 1 (CRABP1) as the primary mediator of the noncanonical activities of atRA. At the molecular level, atRA binds CRABP1, which then immediately acts as an adaptor in the formation of specific signaling scaffolds to rapidly modulate downstream signaling pathways in a cell context-dependent manner. The first established CRABP1-atRA activity is to rapidly dampen the activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade in response to growth factor stimulation, thereby suppressing cell cycle progression of stem cells. The second established activity is to rapidly reduce Ca2+/calmodulin dependent kinase II (CaMKII) activity in differentiated cells such as cardiomyocyte in response to β-adrenergic stimulation. This chapter describes in vivo and in vitro experimental systems and methodologies appropriate for determining the noncanonical activities of atRA that are mediated by CRABP1 and cell context dependent.
‘Building future politics’: projectivity and prefigurative politics in a Swedish social center

This article contributes to the concept of prefigurative politics by sharpening the conceptual distinction between future-oriented prefiguration and projectivity. My research suggests that a social...
Functionalized pyridine in pyclen-based iron(iii) complexes: evaluation of fundamental properties.

The use of tetra-aza pyridinophanes is of increasing interest in the fields of bioinorganic modeling, catalysis, and imaging. However, a full study of how modifications to the pyridyl moiety affect the characteristics of the daughter metal complexes, has not been explored. In this study, six tetra-aza macrocyclic ligands were metalated with Fe(III) and were characterized for the first time. The pyridyl functional groups studied include: 4-hydroxyl (L1), 4-H (L2), 4-chloro (L3), 4-trifluoromethyl (L4), 4-nitrile (L5), and 4-nitro (L6) modified pyridyl on a pyclen base structure. The resulting iron complexes were characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis, cyclic voltammetry, and metal-binding affinities (log β) were determined. Analysis of these results indicate that such functionalizations introduce a handle by which electrochemical properties and thermodynamic stability of daughter complexes with transition metal ions can be tuned, which in turn, could potentially impact the reactivity of these complexes in future studies.
Simulation schemes of a non-miscible three-phase flow model for vapor explosion applications

This PhD work consists of modeling a three-phase flow : liquid (L), gas (V) for the same component (water) and liquid (S) for a second component (high temperature liquid metal). Such a mix is characterized by the risk of occurrence of vapour explosion, where major transfers happen : in this bi-component environment dynamic transfers are important (speed / pressure) and thermodynamic exchanges (heat and mass transfers) also are at stake. More specifically, heat transfers occur between phases S, L and V, while the mass transfer can only occur between the phases L and V. The vapour explosion type applications (EV) generate shock waves propagating within the medium and can impact the structures. Finally, it is essential to note that the actual simulation time, and different time scales are short. The mission is, therefore, to compute an EDP model with closure laws, capable of dealing with strongly unsteady three-phase non-miscible flows, with generation of shock waves and high thermal and mass transfer, and consistent with the second principle of thermodynamics. The second step is to propose a Finite Volume numerical method adapted to the approximation of this model, and in the presence of shock waves. Numerical test cases are given in order to verify the properties of the considered schemes, attention is paid to the consistency between the numerical results and the expected physical behavior of the simulated flow.
Surfaces, Interfaces, Films, and Nanosystems

In this chapter, we present details of generalization of the DMFT approach on the case of systems with reduced dimensionality—surfaces, interfaces of slabs sandwiched between substrates, films, and nanosystems. For each of these different types of systems, we give details of the DMFT algorithm and present results obtained by different groups in the last decade, the period of existence of this new fascinating field. We demonstrate that the correlation effects in low-dimensional systems lead to many unusual effects that can be used in modern technologies.
State Fiscal Crises: States Abilities to Withstand Recessions

During the most recent recession, many state governments faced substantial budget shortfalls.State politicians often blame the fiscal crises created by those shortfalls on factors largely outside their control, such as the declining economy or reductions in federal aid. Others have suggested that what state politicians themselves do, especially during expansionary years?whether they enact rapid spending increases, implement large tax cuts, increase the size of their rainy day funds, or take some combination of these actions?may be an important factor contributing to budget shortfalls during recessions. We examine these competing hypotheses and tend to find a positive relationship between spending growth (both current and lagged) and fiscal stress during recessions and a negative relationship between the size of rainy day funds and fiscal stress. We tend not to find a significant relationship between fiscal stress and either the unemployment rate or federal aid. That lack of a significant relationship supports the idea that politicians have greater control over the fate of the state's finances than they often claim. It also illustrates the importance of spending restraint and rainy day funds as strategies for minimizing fiscal stress.
Flight Control System for Small High-Performance UAVs

FLIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM FOR SMALL HIGH-PERFORMANCE UAVS By Jefferson Clark McBride, M.S. A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2010 Director: Dr. Robert Klenke, Associate Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering This thesis documents a research project in which an autonomous flight control system (FCS) was designed to control and navigate small, high-speed, unmanned, jet-turbine powered fixed-wing aircraft. The FCS was designed to allow the aircraft to maintain controlled flight, and return to a home location, without any operator intervention. The flight control computer was built with an FPGA, using a Microblaze soft-core microprocessor running the uClinux operating system. The configurable FPGA computing platform allowed flexibility for interfacing quickly with a wide range of sensors and control modules. A commercial inertial measurement unit was used for aircraft state estimation, and the flight control system was able to provide stability and precise flight-path control for multiple turbine-
Scope of the Uniform Commercial Code: Advances in Technology and Survey of Computer Contracting Cases

The Subcommittee on Scope of the Uniform Commercial Code ("Subcommittee') continues its work in a number of important areas at the cutting edge of the Uniform Commercial Code ("U.C.C." or "Code"). As a result of the report of the Computer Services Task Force, Software Licensing Contracts: Proposal for Study, the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws ("NCCUSL") appointed a study committee to consider whether to pursue the drafting of a computer software contracting statute. Professor Raymond Nimmer, the author of the Computer Services Task Force Report, served as Reporter to the study committee, which has recommended that NCCUSL undertake to draft a software contracting statute. The Subcommittee is actively monitoring and participating in this work of NCCUSL.
Phase Transitions and Critical Points

For statistical behavior in a family ξ i of random variables, we required in Chapter 2 the property of almost independence: ξ i should be almost independent of all but a finite number of ξ j . This property, in the sense of short range stable forces, was satisfied by the examples of Chapter 2. We now draw a further distinction of weak vs. strong interactions. Weak means that ξ i should be almost independent of all ξ j , j ≠ i, while strong means that ξ i is strongly correlated to a finite number of ξ j , j ≠ i. The weak coupling situations are handled by expansions, as in Chapter 2, and should be regarded as perturbations of an infinite tensor product, zero interaction model.
Structured light methods for underwater imaging: light stripe scanning and photometric stereo

Virtually all structured light methods in computer vision assume that the scene and the sources are immersed in pure air and that light is neither scattered nor absorbed. Recently, however, structured lighting has found growing application in underwater and aerial imaging, where scattering effects cannot be ignored. In this paper, we present a comprehensive analysis of two representative methods - light stripe range scanning and photometric stereo - in the presence of scattering. For both methods, we derive physical models for the appearances of a surface immersed in a scattering medium. Based on these models, we present results on (a) the condition for object detectability in light striping and (b) the number of sources required for photometric stereo. In both cases, we demonstrate that while traditional methods fail when scattering is significant, our methods accurately recover the scene (depths, normals, albedos) as well as the properties of the medium. These results are in turn used to restore the appearances of scenes as if they were captured in clear air. Although we have focused on light striping and photometric stereo, our approach can also be extended to other methods such as grid coding, gated and active polarization imaging.
The Selective Use of Administrative Regulations in Creating Rights Enforceable Through § 1983 Actions

For over 125 years, 42 U.S.C. § 1983 has provided a means for plaintiffs to bring a cause of action against any person acting under color of state law who deprives them of their rights. Since the U.S. Supreme Court expanded § 1983 to encompass remedies for violations of rights secured by federal laws, federal circuit courts of appeals have disagreed whether federal agency regulations, in addition to federal statutes, can create rights enforceable under § 1983. This Note explores this debate, as well as the Court's treatment of federal regulations and the evolution of the Court's approach to recognizing individual rights under § 1983. This Note argues that those regulations that create cognizable rights, that possess the full force and effect of law, and that deserve judicial deference should be eligible to create § 1983 interests. This Note also argues that both our modern administrative state and public policy considerations support the derivation of § 1983 interests from federal regulations.
The future of communicable disease control: toward a new concept in public health law.

Each state, through the exercise of its police powers, has the constitutional prerogative to intervene in the private sphere when necessary for the preservation of the health, safety, and morals of the community. Pursuant to this constitutional authority, all states and many localities have enacted public health statutes designed to control the spread of communicable diseases. The theory behind public health statutes is that the spread of infectious disease can be impeded by the exercise of state powers such as: case identification—e.g., testing, screening, and physical examination to detect whether a person is infectious; investigation of other persons likely to have contracted the infection—e.g., sexual contact tracing; and, then, by controlling the behavior of those found to be infectious or potentially infectious—e.g., isolation of cases or carriers of disease or quarantine of healthy individuals who have been exposed; or medically intervening in the cycle of disease—e.g., by requiring a class of persons to submit to a preventive vaccine or a curative treatment. The exercise of compulsory public health powers for the common good of the community involves a potentially massive infringement of individual liberty, autonomy, and privacy. Yet, public health is a highly neglected area of the law. While other civil justifications for interference with liberty and self-determination, such as civil commitment of the mentally ill, have been the subject of cogent legal analysis in the last two decades, restraint for the good of the health of the people has barely caught the attention of the legal profession. Much of that complacency has now been displaced by the introduction in 1981 of a lethal, geometrically spreading disease, for which there is no prevention or treatment—acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). The classic question for public health jurisprudence, to be addressed in this article, is the extent to which the state may require its citizens to submit to restraint in order to interrupt the spread of communicable diseases. First, I will seek to demonstrate that public health statutes do not reflect modern conceptions in science and law. Second, the major deficiencies in public health law will be described and illuminated. Finally, I will propose a coherent statutory basis for the future of public health law. This effort represents a critically important attempt to develop guidelines for a model public health statute for the control of communicable diseases, for adoption by state and local legislatures.
Student Recruitment into Postsecondary Educational Program

The recruitment of students into educational programs is an area that is underexplored in the literature. This piece capitalizes on two unique features to provide insights. First, the sample comes from a larger experimental evaluation of a summer bridge program that required the eight participating institutions to significantly increase—even more than double—their recruitment from the previous year. Second, because the program was designed for recent high school graduates, the institutions were required to work across educational sectors to recruit students while they were in the spring of their senior year of high school. Using both qualitative and quantitative data, I report that the most successful methods of recruitment involved two components: a personal aspect and multiple exposures to the information. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
Small Spacecraft for Science and Exploration in NASA's Robotic Lunar Exploration Program

NASA’s Vision for Space Exploration (VSE) calls for returning humans to the Moon as preparation for the exploration of Mars and the solar system. Robotic precursor missions can and should play an important role in our plans for a permanent human presence on the Moon. Here we describe a rationale and methodology for the development of small, low-cost, high-heritage lunar orbiters capable of measurements relevant to both basic lunar science and VSE priorities. The use of small (<150 kg) spacecraft enables a multitude of primary and secondary launch opportunities, and many small satellite systems developed for terrestrial applications are also applicable to lunar exploration. We show an example of one such lunar mission, based on a medium-class explorer spacecraft bus, which has been fully studied and costed as a primary or secondary payload and is capable of carrying out high priority measurements of the lunar environment. In order for small spacecraft to work effectively as part of a larger lunar exploration architecture, their design would ideally evolve toward a common bus, thus enabling repeatable and reliable access to lunar orbit. We summarize these and other possibilities explored during a summer study program involving students and the NASA Ames Research Center small satellite program, where we show that important lunar science and exploration objectives can be obtained using small spacecraft and for under $100M total cost.
NET IMPACT OF A PLANT INVASION ON NITROGEN-CYCLING PROCESSES WITHIN A BRACKISH TIDAL MARSH

Using comparative analysis of the rates of key processes, we have documented the net effect of a shift in plant species composition on nitrogen cycles with the example of the rapid expansion of Phragmites australis (common reed) and its replacement of short grasses (e.g., Spartina patens) in coastal marshes of the eastern United States. In this study, we measured nitrogen (N) uptake by marsh plants, N adsorption from the water column by litter, changes in N content of litter, sediment N mineralization, nitrification, and nitrate consumption in adjacent plots dominated either by P. australis or by historically dominant S. patens. Rates of individual processes were generally greater in P. australis than in S. patens, but the magnitude of difference varied greatly among processes. Seasonal measurements of standing stock nitrogen in plant tissue indicate that P. australis took up ∼60% more N than did S. patens, and annual rates of N immobilization were nearly 300% greater in P. australis litter than in S. pat...