cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modeling the process and costs of fuel ethanol production by the corn dry-grind process

The corn dry-grind process is the most widely used method in the U.S. for generating fuel ethanol by fermentation of grain. Increasing demand for domestically produced fuel and changes in the regulations on fuel oxygenates have led to increased production of ethanol mainly by the dry-grind process. Fuel ethanol plants are being commissioned and constructed at an unprecedented rate based on this demand, though a need for a more efficient and cost-effective plant still exists. A process and cost model for a conventional corn dry-grind processing facility producing 119 million kg/year (40 million gal/year) of ethanol was developed as a research tool for use in evaluating new processing technologies and products from starch-based commodities. The models were developed using SuperPro Designer ® software and they handle the composition of raw materials and products, sizing of unit operations, utility consumptions, estimation of capital and operating costs, and the revenues from products and coproducts. The model is based on data gathered from ethanol producers, technology suppliers, equipment manufacturers, and engineers working in the industry. Intended applications of this model include: evaluating existing and new grain conversion technologies, determining the impact of alternate feedstocks, and sensitivity analysis of key economic factors. In one sensitivity analysis, the cost of producing ethanol increased from US$ 0.235 l −1 to US$ 0.365 l −1 (US$ 0.89 gal −1 to US$ 1.38 gal −1 ) as the price of corn increased from US$ 0.071 kg −1 to US$ 0.125 kg −1 (US$ 1.80 bu −1 to US$ 3.20 bu −1 ). Another example gave a reduction
The Effects of Teacher Fidelity of Implementation of Pathways to Health on Student Outcomes

Previous research has demonstrated the importance of ensuring that programs are implemented as intended by program developers in order to achieve desired program effects. The current study examined implementation fidelity of Pathways to Health (Pathways), a newly developed obesity prevention program for fourth- through sixth-grade children. We explored the associations between self-reported and observed implementation fidelity scores and whether implementation fidelity differed across the first 2 years of program implementation. Additionally, we examined whether implementation fidelity affected program outcomes and whether teacher beliefs were associated with implementation fidelity. The program was better received, and implementation fidelity had more effects on program outcomes in fifth grade than in fourth grade. Findings suggest that implementation in school-based obesity programs may affect junk food intake and intentions to eat healthfully and exercise. School support was associated with implementation fidelity, suggesting that prevention programs may benefit from including a component that boosts school-wide support.
Classical and parametric spectral analysis instrument using a visual programming language

Tube leak detection in fossil-fueled power plant boilers has traditionally used classical power spectral density estimates based on fast Fourier transform methods. This approach has achieved mixed results due to the complex signal environment present in the boiler. The authors compare the results of classical techniques with another approach based on parametric power spectral estimation methods. It is shown that autoregressive-moving-average methods sometimes result in earlier detection of tube leaks. With the advent of visual programming languages for digital signal processing systems, the development time required to implement a parametric spectral estimation system is greatly reduced compared to that for traditional text-based programming environments. >
Paraffin wax emulsion for increased rainfastness of insecticidal bait to control Rhagoletis pomonella (Diptera: Tephritidae).

In regions with a humid summer climate, the use of water-soluble bait to control apple maggot is often limited by rainfall. We studied increasing the rainfastness of GF-120 fruit fly bait by adding paraffin wax emulsion. First, we verified that adding 10% wax to a mixture containing 16.7% GF-120 did not reduce the mortality of female apple maggot compared with GF-120 without wax. In addition, we determined that fly mortality caused by GF-120 plus wax subjected to simulated rain was similar to that caused by GF-120 without wax not subjected to rain. Other assays showed that higher fly mortality resulted from increasing the proportion of wax from 10 to 15%, and lower mortality resulted from decreasing GF-120 from 16.7 to 10 or 5%. The availability of spinosad on or near droplets of a mixture consisting of 5, 10, or 15% GF-120 and 15% wax was determined before and after the droplets were subjected to three 15-min periods of simulated rain. We found an initial steep decline in dislodgeable spinosad and smaller decreases after subsequent periods of rain. In a small-plot field trial, fruit infestation by apple maggot in plots treated with a mixture consisting of 16.7% GF-120 and 19.2% wax was less than in plots treated with 16.7% GF-120 without wax but not less than in control plots. Overall, we found that adding paraffin wax emulsion to GF-120 increased rainfastness in laboratory bioassays, and specifically that it retained the active ingredient spinosad. However, our field data suggest that optimal rainfastness requires the development of mixtures with >19.2% wax, which may preclude application using standard spray equipment.
Activation of large conductance sodium channels upon expression of amiloride-sensitive sodium channel in Sf9 insect cells.

The amiloride-sensitive epithelial sodium channels (ENaC) mediate Na+ reabsorption in epithelial tissues including distal nephron, colon, lung, and secretory glands and plays a critical role in pathophysiology of hypertension and cystic fibrosis. The ENaC is a multimeric protein composed of α-ENaC, β-ENaC, and γ-ENaC subunits. To study the biochemical properties of the channel, the subunit cDNAs of rat colon ENaC (rENaC) were subcloned into baculoviruses, and the corresponding proteins were expressed in Sf9 insect cells. The functional characteristics of the expressed rENaC were studied in planar lipid bilayers. The results show that expression of α-rENaC and αβγ-rENaC in Sf9 insect cells results in the generation of cation-selective large conductance channels. Although the large conductance channels observed in the α-rENaC-containing membranes were unaffected by amiloride, the large conductance channels found in αβγ-rENaC complex-containing membranes exhibited voltage-dependent flickering in the presence of micromolar amiloride. Possible implications of these observations are discussed.
Toward a Unified Theory of Renal Progression

Various disciplines within nephrology investigate the mechanisms by which kidneys fail. Progress in the areas of glomerular hemodynamics, proteinuria, tubular biology, interstitial nephritis, fibroblast formation, and fibrosis have added kernels of information that together support a unified theory of renal progression. Prevention of progression to end-stage disease has largely focused on control of systemic and glomerular hypertension. Current success in delaying a decline in glomerular filtration rate underlines the promise of a more comprehensive approach. New knowledge about the cell biology of progression also suggests that other adjunctive therapies may be possible. We describe the progress and highlight those spheres where new-targeted interventions may arise.
Adjunctive Testing in the Evaluation of Adults After Kawasaki Disease

Acute Kawasaki disease (KD) is diagnosed and treated by pediatricians, but decades later, these individuals are presenting to adult cardiologists with a variety of cardiovascular sequelae, including myocardial ischemia and infarction, congestive heart failure secondary to myocardial fibrosis, and claudication because of vascular insufficiency from thrombosed peripheral arteries. There are no clinical trials to guide management, interventions, and medical therapy in this patient population. This review summarizes the emerging information regarding evaluation of the cardiovascular status of adults decades after childhood KD.
Necrosis and detachment of the cervix during labor.

Abstract Five cases of spontaneous necrosis and detachment of the cervix during labor are reported. Long labor, ruptured membranes, and a flat or contracted pelvis are predisposing factors. Pathogenesis is suggested as proceeding from pressure of the anterior lip of the cervix between the vertex and the symphysis, to congestion and edema and finally necrosis of the cervix. Then a cervicovaginal fistula forms with spontaneous detachment of the necrotic cervix. Prevention consists in the releasing of pressure on the trapped anterior lip of the cervix prior to the appearance of irreversible necrosis.
Endotoxin induces metabolic dysregulation of vascular tone.

The goals of this study were to determine 1) if endotoxin alters vascular responsiveness to metabolic stimuli and 2) if the decompensatory loss of skeletal muscle vascular tone that occurs during e...
Enforcement Direction of Competition Law

The Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act (hereinafter MRFTA: Korea's competition law), which was enacted in 1980, has been introduced and enforced to achieve more mature market economy. In order to normalize distorted market functions arising from the government-led economic growth, the activities such as abusive behavior of market dominance, cartel, anti-competitive M&A and unfair trade practices were prohibited under the law. However, since the mid 1980s, due to rising problems of excessive concentration of economic power and influence from large business conglomerates, or Chaebols, the Korea Fair Trade Commission (hereinafter KFTC: Korean government agency for enforcement of the competition law) has amended the MRFTA for many times, imposing restrictions on shareholdings and transaction practices, such as prohibition of cross shareholdings and debt-guarantee between affiliates, restriction of total amount of shareholdings in other domestic companies, and prohibition of undue intra-group transactions. In addition, the KFTC enacted the Fair Subcontract Transactions Act for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) not to face undue disadvantages in subcontract transactions, which can often arise from asymmetric negotiation powers between SMEs and large companies. Such regulations against large companies are causing a lot of criticisms these days as every aspect of the Korean economy has become more and more exposed to international competition with acceleration of globalization. Therefore, by getting various ideas from a wide range of opinion groups since early 2003, the government established the 3-year market reform roadmap which aims at facilitating market functions through regulatory reform as well as reinforcement of cartel regulation and prohibition of unfair trade practices. In addition, for large business conglomerates, the roadmap is designed to enhance transparency in business management and improve corporate governance, while streamlining previous regulations on them. By evaluating the performance of the improvement of corporate governance, the government will review whether to abolish or ease the regulations against large companies after 3 years of implementation of the roadmap. This direction was reflected on the amended MRFTA in late 2004.
Effects of the Foil Flatness on the Stress-Strain Characteristics of U10Mo Alloy Based Monolithic Mini-Plates

The effects of the foil flatness on stress-strain behavior of monolithic fuel mini-plates during fabrication and irradiation were studied. Monolithic plate-type fuels are a new fuel form being developed for research and test reactors to achieve higher uranium densities. This concept facilitates the use of low-enriched uranium fuel in the reactor. These fuel elements are comprised of a high density, low enrichment, U–Mo alloy based fuel foil encapsulated in a cladding material made of Aluminum. To evaluate the effects of the foil flatness on the stress-strain behavior of the plates during fabrication, irradiation and shutdown stages, a representative plate from RERTR-12 experiments (Plate L1P756) was considered. Both fabrication and irradiation processes of the plate were simulated by using actual irradiation parameters. The simulations were repeated for various foil curvatures to observe the effects of the foil flatness on the peak stress and strain magnitudes of the fuel elements. Results of fabrication simulations revealed that the flatness of the foil does not have a considerable impact on the post fabrication stress-strain fields. Furthermore, the irradiation simulations indicated that any post-fabrication stresses in the foil would be relieved relatively fast in the reactor. While, the perfectly flat foil provided the slightly bettermore » mechanical performance, overall difference between the flat-foil case and curved-foil case was not significant. Even though the peak stresses are less affected, the foil curvature has several implications on the strain magnitudes in the cladding. It was observed that with an increasing foil curvature, there is a slight increase in the cladding strains.« less
Degradation elements coincide with cofactor binding sites in a short-lived transcription factor.

Elaborate control of gene expression by transcription factors is common to all kingdoms of life. In eukaryotes, transcription factor abundance and activity are often regulated by targeted proteolys...
Arbitrary Overlapping Interfaces for Unsteady Unstructured Parallel Flow Simulations

A sliding interface technique is presented in order to simulate the flowfield for geometries involving relative motion using a parallel unstructured flow solver. The moving subdomain grids are discontinuous at the subdomain boundary but are coupled through the sliding interface. The sliding interface is created by extruding the faces into the adjacent subdomain in order to compute a flux across the interface. The values for the extruded nodes are found by interpolation. Multiple cases were examined to determine the effect of the interface on the flowfield. Even though explicit flux conservation is not enforced across the subdomain interface, good results are still obtained.
Specific Heats, Cv, of Compressed Liquid and Gaseous Fluorine.

Experimental specific heats at constant volume for compressed gaseous and liquid fluorine are reported from 80 K to 300 K at pressures to about 23 MN/m2.
Laser-assisted simultaneous transfer and patterning of vertically aligned carbon nanotube arrays on polymer substrates for flexible devices.

We demonstrate a laser-assisted dry transfer technique for assembling patterns of vertically aligned carbon nanotube arrays on a flexible polymeric substrate. A laser beam is applied to the interface of a nanotube array and a polycarbonate sheet in contact with one another. The absorbed laser heat promotes nanotube adhesion to the polymer in the irradiated regions and enables selective pattern transfer. A combination of the thermal transfer mechanism with rapid direct writing capability of focused laser beam irradiation allows us to achieve simultaneous material transfer and direct micropatterning in a single processing step. Furthermore, we demonstrate that malleability of the nanotube arrays transferred onto a flexible substrate enables post-transfer tailoring of electric conductance by collapsing the aligned nanotubes in different directions. This work suggests that the laser-assisted transfer technique provides an efficient route to using vertically aligned nanotubes as conductive elements in flexible...
Online Testing Technique and Applications of the Acoustic Emission of the Corrosion of the Bottom Plates of Vertical Oil Tanks

The principles, methods and assessment rules of the online testing technique of acoustic emission of the corrosion state of the bottom plates of vertical oil tanks were presented. The online testing and assessment of the acoustic emission of the bottom plates for forty-eight oil tanks with different sizes and media were conducted, and a magnetic-flux-leakage scanning inspection of the bottom plates for six of the forty-eight oil tanks was performed. The comparison result shows the accuracy and feasibility of the online testing technique.
Determination and Comprastion of Resistant Starch Content in Yue-Hang 1 Rice and Its Parents

To determine the content of resistant starch(RS)in this space functional rice Yue-Hang 1,so as to supply experimental data for clinical diet intervention and understand the influence of space breeding to RS contain in this kind of rice,Applying Goni method the content of RS in Yue-Hang 1 rice,selenium-rich Yue-Hang 1 rice,Chang-Si-Zhan rice,Jing-Xian 89 rice was determined.The results showed that the content of RS in Yue-Hang 1 rice,rich-selenium Yue-Hang 1,Chang-Si-Zhan rice,Jing-Xian 89 rice was respectively(0.30±0.11)%.(47±0.37)%,(0.31±0.66)%,(0.36±0.62)%.Concludes the content of RS in Yue-Hang 1 rice are no difference with rich-selenium Yue-Hang 1 rice,Jing-Xian 89 rice and its parents Chang-Si-Zhan rice.Space breeding has no effect in genetic characteristic in contains of RS in this kind.
Use of Contrast Agents in Children with Chronic Kidney Disease

Contrast media have been used in diagnostic imaging since the late 1800s and have evolved over the decades. Contrast media facilitate the interpretation of medical imaging by increasing the differences seen between body tissues displayed on the images. Through various mechanisms, contrast media influence a tissue or organ’s ability to absorb or reflect energy from electromagnetic radiation or ultrasound. These agents are commonly used with many imaging techniques including conventional radiography, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and ultrasound.
Balance of Capital

International flows of capital have increased dramatically in recent years. This dramatic expansion of international trade in securities is a verification of globalization. It also creates a new investment landscape that has created both greater liquidity and some substantial new risks.
Designed Small-Molecule Inhibitors of the Anthranilyl-CoA Synthetase PqsA Block Quinolone Biosynthesis in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

The Gram-negative bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa uses three interconnected intercellular signaling systems regulated by the transcription factors LasR, RhlR, and MvfR (PqsR), which mediate bacterial cell–cell communication via small-molecule natural products and control the production of a variety of virulence factors. The MvfR system is activated by and controls the biosynthesis of the quinolone quorum sensing factors HHQ and PQS. A key step in the biosynthesis of these quinolones is catalyzed by the anthranilyl-CoA synthetase PqsA. To develop inhibitors of PqsA as novel potential antivirulence antibiotics, we report herein the design and synthesis of sulfonyladeonsine-based mimics of the anthranilyl-AMP reaction intermediate that is bound tightly by PqsA. Biochemical, microbiological, and pharmacological studies identified two potent PqsA inhibitors, anthranilyl-AMS (1) and anthranilyl-AMSN (2), that decreased HHQ and PQS production in P. aeruginosa strain PA14. However, these compounds did n...
Teacher Openness and Prosocial Motivation: Creating an Environment Where Questions Lead to Engaged Students

Evidence suggests that student engagement in the classroom leads to improved learning outcomes. As a result, teachers of management have promoted ways to involve students through Socratic teaching methods, case-based pedagogy, and class discussion. These approaches to learning emphasize the use of questions to stimulate student engagement. However, as with all communication, questions are subject to interpretation and can lead to differing outcomes. Perceived motives of instructors are powerful environmental cues that inform a student’s interpretation of a question and the appropriate response. Here, I share insights from research to highlight two motives, teacher openness and prosocial motivation, that can give meaning to questions and help create an environment where questions are most likely to yield engaged students.
Open-end winding AC drives with enhanced reactive power support to the grid while eliminating switching common-mode voltage

In this paper, a new space vector PWM strategy for a matrix converter based open-end winding drive is presented. This modulation strategy enhances the capability of drive system to supply reactive power to the grid while eliminating switching common-mode voltage at the machine terminals. The enhanced reactive power support is possible due to the following new features of the proposed PWM strategy: 1) For a desired grid-side power factor, the maximum available voltage at the machine terminals is higher than the maximum available voltage in conventional strategy, 2) For the same voltage at the machine terminals, lower (than conventional strategy) grid-side power factor is possible. Analytical expressions which show the relation between grid-side power factor and available voltage at the machine terminals are derived. Gain in voltage is compared with the previous method. Simulation results and experimental results of a hardware prototype are presented.
Step free energies at faceted solid surfaces: Theory and atomistic calculations for steps on the Cu(111) surface

A theory for the thermodynamic properties of steps on faceted crystalline surfaces is presented. The formalism leads to the definition of step excess quantities, including an excess step stress that is the step analogy of surface stress. The approach is used to develop a relationship between the temperature dependence of the step free energy $({\ensuremath{\gamma}}^{\mathrm{st}})$ and step excess quantities for energy and stress that can be readily calculated by atomistic simulations. We demonstrate the application of this formalism in thermodynamic-integration (TI) calculations of the step free energy, based on molecular-dynamics simulations, considering $\ensuremath{\langle}110\ensuremath{\rangle}$ steps on the ${111}$ surface of a classical potential model for elemental Cu. In this application we employ the Frenkel-Ladd approach to compute the reference value of ${\ensuremath{\gamma}}^{\mathrm{st}}$ for the TI calculations. Calculated results for excess energy and stress show relatively weak temperature dependencies up to a homologous temperature of approximately 0.6, above which these quantities increase strongly and the step stress becomes more isotropic. From the calculated excess quantities we compute ${\ensuremath{\gamma}}^{\mathrm{st}}$ over the temperature range from zero up to the melting point $({T}_{\mathrm{m}})$. We find that ${\ensuremath{\gamma}}^{\mathrm{st}}$ remains finite up to ${T}_{\mathrm{m}}$, indicating the absence of a roughening temperature for this ${111}$ surface facet, but decreases by roughly fifty percent from the zero-temperature value. The strongest temperature dependence occurs above homologous temperatures of approximately 0.6, where the step becomes configurationally disordered due to the formation of point defects and appreciable capillary fluctuations.
Comments and Queries: Behavior Modification—One Year Without Cumulative Records

Problems of extensive data collection in a rehabilitation setting using behavior modification techniques are discussed, and a case for minimizing data collection is presented.
Neuro-Tongue: Tongue Signs in Clinical Epilepsy (P07.178)

OBJECTIVE: Two patients present with tongue pathology which had been previously overlooked and are key to diagnosis. BACKGROUND: Case 1: A 43 year old man with left fronto-parietal oligodendroglioma, grade II, resected 11 years prior, presents with dysarthria without aphasia after gastro-intestinal illness. Anticonvulsant therapy had been tapered off over two years. Last seizure was 2009. After a pot-luck dinner, vomiting and diarrhea continued for 36 hours. In the ED, baseline right hemi-paresis was denser and he had new dysarthria. Levetiracetam was restarted, but dysarthria persisted. He sought neurological consultation due to dysarthria preventing him from working as an attorney. Case 2: A 37 year old woman presents with uncontrolled complex partial seizures and longstanding tongue lesions despite many specialist evaluations and biopsies. DESIGN/METHODS: Two clinical cases are described along with pertinent EEG9s, photos, and pathology. Detailed clinical notes and examinations are described. RESULTS: Case 1: The attorney9s exam was similar to his baseline with more prominent right facial and right hemiparesis. He was alert,and able to name, read,and write.His tongue was curled in a dystonic "S" position. EEG recorded focal status epilepticus over the left parietal spreading to left temporal regions. The patient was effectively treated with anti-epilepsy medications. Dysarthria and tongue dystonia remitted. Follow up EEG returned to post-operative baseline of left temporal-parietal slowing. Case 2: After stopping primidone, tongue lesions resolved. CONCLUSIONS: Case 1: Focal status epilepticus in an alert patient may have an unusual presentation as in this dystonic tongue. EEG confirms epileptiform activity and is a useful tool for following patient complaints of "lazy" tongue. Seizures should be considered in differential diagnosis of unusual tongue dystonia. Case 2: Primidone has been associated rarely with tongue lesions. When confronting historic anti-epilepsy medications it is useful to research adverse effects which may have a different spectrum than modern therapies. Disclosure: Dr. Kaplan has received personal compensation from Medical DecisionPoint for speaking services.
BRAF and NRAS mutations in circulating Langerhans-like CD1a+ cells in a patient with pulmonary Langerhans’ cell histiocytosis

Detection of BRAF and NRAS in Langerhans-like cells from a patient with pulmonary Langerhans9 cell histiocytosishttp://ow.ly/cCDG30f0TcT
On Becoming a Social Justice Leader: A Fictionalized Narrative Approach.

The purpose of the study was to examine the experiences and influences that aided, prompted, and informed a principal in the south-western United States to act as a social justice leader with a keen focus on creating equitable conditions and outcomes for marginalized students within his school (Bruner, 2008). By employing a fictionalized narrative approach to findings, the aim of this study was to illuminate the shadows around the formal position to more fully understand what experiences caused an educational leader to act with and focus on social justice in his formal capacity as a high school principal. Findings highlighted that parental upbringing, experiences while in college, a competitive nature reinforced through athletics, and a meaningful relationship with a mentor all had a profound influence on the participant’s orientation to and belief in reducing inequities in his school and providing opportunities for all of his students.
An electric karting camp to attract high school students to a STEM career: Phase 2

The Purdue Polytechnic-South Bend has been offering an electric karting camp since 2013. The camp, open to high school students, is designed to give these students a sampling of the technologies and theories involved in electric vehicles. The original targeted audience was juniors and seniors in high school, with the idea being to influence them to pursue STEM as a major in college. For a variety of reasons the camp has more and more been attended by freshmen and sophomores instead. This has required a change in content and philosophy of the sessions of the camp. This paper describes this evolution as the participants have become younger.
Chirurgische Therapie des primären Mamma-Karzinoms — Optionen und Perspektiven

Uber die letzten Jahrzehnte ist die Behandlung des Mamma-Karzinoms ganz wesentlich durch neue Ideen und Entdeckungen gepragt worden, die, in kontroll. Studien auf ihre klinische Wertigkeit gepruft, unsere heutige Vorgehensweise mitbestimmen. In der vorliegenden Arbeit werden neue therapeutische Optionen diskutiert und erste Resultate vorgetragen. Zur Darstellung kommen: Van Nuys Klassifikation (DCIS) Skin-sparing Mastectomy, ABBI-System, endoskop. Axilladiss., Fluoreszensdetektion Ca-befallener LK, Sentinel LK. neo-adjuv. Chemotherapie, zyklusabhangiges Op-Timing, Perspekt. f. d. Jahr 2000.
Correlated Diffusion Mobility

The 2D-correlated diffusion mobility model that provides an important facility to alter the amount of correlation between motion components is analyzed deriving its analytical model. We have also described how different mobility models can be derived by adjusting the five mobility parameters of the CDM .
"Composite" tumor--mixed squamous cell and small-cell anaplastic carcinoma of the larynx.

Mixed squamous and oat cell carcinomas (composite neoplasms) of the larynx behave aggressively with a propensity toward early dissemination. Diagnosis may not be made until definitive surgery is performed. The extent of surgery must be determined by the size and site of the primary neoplasm and the physiologic status of the patient. In our experience, surgery has adequately controlled the primary disease. A metastatic work-up is essential. Entry into a comprehensive program employing adjunctive radiotherapy and chemotherapy are strongly recommended. Theories concerning histogenesis remain controversial and include two separate colliding tumors, differentiation from a single cell line, or divergent differentiation of a single cell line.
Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Medical Amnesty Policy Change on College Students' Alcohol Consumption, Physiological Consequences, and Helping Behaviors.

Objective:This study summarizes the association between medical amnesty policy (MAP) implementation and drinking behaviors at a 4-year university.Method:First-year students (N = 1,246; 50.8% male) ...
What the Feds Can Do to Rein in Local Mercenary Criminal Justice

Although physical and psychological harms caused by local police are the most common bases for federal intervention and reform efforts, this Article focuses on the financial harms local police can cause. As the U.S. Department of Justice’s Ferguson Report and numerous other studies highlight, local police departments are front-line players in a broader governmental strategy to generate revenue from individuals ensnared in the criminal justice system. The strategy is problematic for a variety of reasons, including the skewing effect it has on enforcement priorities and the major negative personal impact it has on those targeted (very often, people of color and economically disadvantaged individuals). Aggravating matters, the mercenary practices of local criminal justice system actors are complemented by private business entities that secure significant profits from the business local governments send their way. This Article surveys the adverse consequences of local mercenary criminal justice for governance, residents and their communities; the many, quite distinct obstacles that federal reform efforts face; and the several possible avenues for reform and their likelihood of success.
Medical cannabis in cancer patients: Prevalence, efficacy, and safety.

e23099Background: Cancer patients are using medical cannabis (MC) to address symptoms, however, little data exists to guide clinicians when counseling patients regarding use. We seek to define the ...
Smart Control of Automatic Voltage Regulators using K-means Clustering

The future cyber physical systems consist of voltage regulators distributed across wide geographical areas. In this paper, a smart control approach of voltage regulators is presented for cyber physical system applications. The approach is implemented using K-means clustering algorithms that use data from voltage and current sensors, compute the correlation of changes across the regulators and generate a proportional feedback. Advanced estimation methods are used in cases where the data from the sensors was not available. The results show that the approach could be used to improve the performance of networked, power dependent systems by 94.5% in terms of overshoot and 9.52% in terms of response time as compared to other methods of controlling voltage regulators.
Evidence that Casting a Ballot Increases Political Trust: Isolating the Downstream Effects of Voting by Generating Exogenous Shocks in Turnout

This study provides empirical evidence that the act of voting causes trust in government to increase. Because political participation is also affected by political trust, empirical identification is challenging. An intensive mobilization treatment randomly increases instrumental motivations to cast a ballot in a local election, successfully generating a substantial increase in turnout. The mobilization treatment is treated as an instrumental variable, in order to isolate exogenously-driven increases in participation. The analysis estimates the effects of casting a ballot on trust in government. The results suggest that the act of voting causes citizens to increase their trust in both the electoral system used on the ballot, and in the government elected in that election. Additional analyses suggest the effects of voting are strongest among citizens who also approve of the electoral outcome, and among citizens who were not previously registered to vote.
Satellite orbital drag during magnetic storms

We investigate satellite orbital drag effects at lowEarth orbit associated with thermosphere heating during magnetic storms caused by coronal mass ejections. CHAllenge Minisatellite Payload (CHAMP) and Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment (GRACE) neutral density data are used to compute orbital drag. Stormtoquiet density comparisons are performed with background densities obtained by the JacchiaBowman 2008 (JB2008) empirical model. Our storms are grouped in different categories regarding their intensities as indicated by minimum values of the SYMH index. We then perform superposed epoch analyses with storm main phase onset as zero epoch time. In general, we find that orbital drag effects are larger for CHAMP (lower altitudes) in comparison to GRACE (higher altitudes). Results show that storm time drag effects manifest first at high latitudes, but for extreme storms, particularly observed by GRACE, stronger orbital drag effects occur during early main phase at low/equatorial latitudes, probably due to heating propagation from high latitudes. We find that storm time orbital decay along the satellites' path generally increases with storm intensity, being stronger and faster for the most extreme events. For these events, orbital drag effects decrease faster probably due to elevated cooling effects caused by nitric oxide, which introduce modeled density uncertainties during storm recovery phase. Errors associated with total orbit decay introduced by JB2008 are generally the largest for the strongest storms and increase during storm times, particular during recovery phases. We discuss the implication of these uncertainties for the prediction of collision between space objects at lowEarth orbit during magnetic storms.
Invited Talk: "High Resolution Space/Time Imaging of Shockwaves Generated by Remote Laser Plasmas Produced by Light Filaments"

High-resolution optical optical diagnostics have long been used to characterize the expansion and electron density of dense laser plasmas. We describe recent studies of remotely-created dense laser plasmas produced by laser air-filaments that project high intensity laser light to distances of a kilometer.
Justice and Lawyers: Revising the Model Rules of Professional Conduct

We should assess whether revisions to the Model Rules of Professional Conduct proposed by the Ethics 2000 Commission will promote justice by focusing on the revisions concerning a lawyer's fiduciary duty in representing clients, the bounds of the law that curb client advocacy, and public access to justice.
CMOS Compatible Dual Avalanche Photodiode for Algorithmic Visible Spectral Sensing

A previously reported CMOS-compatible dual avalanche photodiode design is exploited to develop a maximum-likelihood spectral-sensing algorithm, which maps the dual photocurrents to the monochromatic light's wavelength. Optimization over the reverse biases of the two APDs yields a spectral resolution of 10 nm within 440–650 nm.
Structure of the teneurin-latrophilin complex: Alternative splicing controls synapse specificity by a novel mechanism

SUMMARY The trans-synaptic interaction of the cell-adhesion molecules teneurins (Tenm’s) with latrophilins (Lphn’s) promotes excitatory synapse formation when Lphn’s simultaneously interact with FLRTs. Insertion of a short alternatively-spliced region within Tenm’s abolishes the Tenm-Lphn interaction and switches Tenm function to specify inhibitory synapses. How Tenm’s bind to Lphn’s in a manner regulated by alternative splicing remains unclear. Here, we report the high-resolution cryo-EM structure of the Tenm2-Lphn3 complex, and describe the trimeric Tenm2-Lphn3-FLRT3 complex. The structure reveals that the N-terminal lectin-like domain of Lphn3 binds to the Tenm2 barrel at a site far away from the alternatively-spliced region. Alternative-splicing regulates the Tenm2-Lphn3 interaction by hindering access to the Lphn-binding surface rather than altering it. Strikingly, mutagenesis of the Lphn-binding surface of Tenm2 abolishes the Lphn3 interaction and impairs excitatory but not inhibitory synapse formation. These results suggest that a multi-level coincident binding mechanism mediated by a cryptic adhesion complex between Tenm’s and Lphn’s regulates synapse specificity.
Advances in Chromatin Imaging at Kilobase-Scale Resolution.

It is now widely appreciated that the spatial organization of the genome is nonrandom, and its complex 3D folding has important consequences for many genome processes. Recent developments in multiplexed, super-resolution microscopy have enabled an unprecedented view of the polymeric structure of chromatin – from the loose folds of whole chromosomes to the detailed loops of cis-regulatory elements that regulate gene expression. Facilitated by the use of robotics, microfluidics, and improved approaches to super-resolution, thousands to hundreds of thousands of individual cells can now be analyzed in an individual experiment. This has led to new insights into the nature of genomic structural features identified by sequencing, such as topologically associated domains (TADs), and the nature of enhancer–promoter interactions underlying transcriptional regulation. We review these recent improvements.
Negative Outcomes Associated with Reoperative Sternotomy and LVAD Explantation at the Time of Cardiac Transplantation

Purpose The number of heart transplants that require a reoperative sternotomy has increased dramatically with the growing utilization of LVADs. A reoperative surgical field complicates the recipient cardiectomy. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of reoperative sternotomy and LVAD explantation on the duration of surgery, the physiologic impact to the patient, and transfusion requirements. Methods This study is a single institution, retrospective review of all adult heart transplants between January 2013 and August 2018. Patients were excluded if they underwent a multi-organ transplant. Eligible patients were divided into three groups: non-reoperative, non-LVAD reoperative sternotomy, and LVAD explantation. The physiologic effect on the patient was estimated by the peak postoperative lactate level. Results During the study period, 174 adult heart transplants were performed. Twenty-two patients met exclusion criteria and the final cohort included 152 patients. The average age was 54 ± 12 years. The non-LVAD reoperative sternotomy group included 32 patients (21.0%) patients and 39 (25.7%) were in the LVAD explantation group. The results are summarized in Table 1. Patient outcomes were negatively affected by reoperative sternotomy in regards to duration of operative times, intra- and post operative blood product requirements, and physiologic stress as indicated by lactate levels. When compared to other patients undergoing a reopeartive sternotomy, those with an LVAD had longer operative times and larger intraoperative blood product requirements. Conclusion This study illustrates a negative impact of reoperative sternotomy and LVAD explanation on the heart transplant procedure itself and the consequences for the patient. The growing use of LVADs as a bridge to transplant will continue to increase the number of patients undergoing reoperative sternotomies. This study supports the development of less invasive devices for use as a bridge to transplant.
iCORPP: Interleaved Commonsense Reasoning and Probabilistic Planning on Robots.

Robot sequential decision-making in the real world is a challenge because it requires the robots to simultaneously reason about the current world state and dynamics, while planning actions to accomplish complex tasks. On the one hand, declarative languages and reasoning algorithms well support representing and reasoning with commonsense knowledge. But these algorithms are not good at planning actions toward maximizing cumulative reward over a long, unspecified horizon. On the other hand, probabilistic planning frameworks, such as Markov decision processes (MDPs) and partially observable MDPs (POMDPs), well support planning to achieve long-term goals under uncertainty. But they are ill-equipped to represent or reason about knowledge that is not directly related to actions. In this article, we present a novel algorithm, called iCORPP, to simultaneously estimate the current world state, reason about world dynamics, and construct task-oriented controllers. In this process, robot decision-making problems are decomposed into two interdependent (smaller) subproblems that focus on reasoning to "understand the world" and planning to "achieve the goal" respectively. Contextual knowledge is represented in the reasoning component, which makes the planning component epistemic and enables active information gathering. The developed algorithm has been implemented and evaluated both in simulation and on real robots using everyday service tasks, such as indoor navigation, dialog management, and object delivery. Results show significant improvements in scalability, efficiency, and adaptiveness, compared to competitive baselines including handcrafted action policies.
10.11 – The Global Oxygen Cycle

Molecular oxygen (O2) is generated and consumed by a wide span of biological and abiotic processes. Chief among these are photosynthesis and respiration, but on geologic timescales, burial and weathering of redox-active elements such as carbon and sulfur exert strong controls on atmospheric O2 concentrations. The global cycling of O2 is controlled by a coupled system of physical, chemical, and most importantly, biological processes acting on and in the Earth's surface. Large inroads have been made toward understanding the processes that control the concentration of atmospheric O2, especially regarding O2 as a component of coupled biogeochemical cycles of many elements, including carbon, sulfur, nitrogen, phosphorus, iron, and others. Numerical models of sedimentary rock abundance and of the isotope systematics of the surficial cycles of carbon and sulfur provide useful insights into the evolution of atmospheric O2 through time. At the same time, advances in isotope geochemistry and geobiology contribute to an ever more detailed understanding of the geologic history of atmospheric O2 from the early Earth through the Phanerozoic.
A 2-Bit Phase-Shifting Unit Cell Design for Beam-Steerable Reflectarrays

This paper presents a 2-bit, 20% bandwidth, switch-controlled phase-shifting unit cell design for beam-steerable reflectarrays. The unit cell uses four single-junction connections, which can be replaced with single-pole single-throw switches, for selecting between four distinct reflection modes. Two of the four modes reflect an $x-$ or y-polarized incident wave with a +90° and −90° polarization rotation while the other two provide non-polarization-rotating reflection. The dominant reflection coefficients of the four modes have relative phase values of $0, \pi, \pi/2$, and $3\pi/2$, respectively. This results in 2-bit phase shifts for the reflected wave when the unit cell is illuminated with an incident wave polarized along either of its two diagonal lines. The proposed unit cell was used to construct a beam-steerable reflectarray operating at X-band. Full-wave simulation results predict an aperture efficiency of 42% at 10 GHz as well as a 3-dB gain bandwidth of 9-11 GHz (20%) for a ±45° scan range.
Employees' Perception Bias in Firm-Specificity of Human Capital

This paper extends Raffie and Coff’s (2016) pioneering study of perception bias in firm-specific human capital that can be influenced by organizational tenure, organizational commitment, and on-the...
DeepSpeed: System Optimizations Enable Training Deep Learning Models with Over 100 Billion Parameters

Explore new techniques in Microsoft's open source library called DeepSpeed, which advances large model training by improving scale, speed, cost, and usability, unlocking the ability to train 100-billion-parameter models. DeepSpeed is compatible with PyTorch. One piece of our library, called ZeRO, is a new parallelized optimizer that greatly reduces the resources needed for model and data parallelism while massively increasing the number of parameters that can be trained. Researchers have used these breakthroughs to create Turing Natural Language Generation (Turing-NLG), which at the time of its release was the largest publicly known language model at 17 billion parameters. In addition we will also go over our latest transformer kernel advancements that led the DeepSpeed team to achieve the world fastest BERT pretraining record. The Zero Redundancy Optimizer (ZeRO) is a novel memory optimization technology for large-scale distributed deep learning. ZeRO can train deep learning models with over 100 billion parameters on the current generation of GPU clusters at three to five times the throughput of the current best system. It also presents a clear path to training models with trillions of parameters, demonstrating an unprecedented leap in deep learning system technology. DeepSpeed brings state-of-the-art training techniques, such as ZeRO, optimized kernels, distributed training, mixed precision, and checkpointing, through lightweight APIs compatible with PyTorch. With just a few lines of code changes to your PyTorch model, you can leverage DeepSpeed to address underlying performance challenges and boost the speed and scale of your training.