cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Natural Gas to Liquid Transportation Fuels under Uncertainty Using Robust Optimization

The current pricing climate for natural gas and liquid transportation fuels adds a significant amount of uncertainty when designing new natural gas to liquid transportation fuel (GTL) refineries. R...
Pediatric Esophageal Disorders: Diagnosis and Treatment of Reflux and Eosinophilic Esophagitis

Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) occurs frequently in infants, generally at its worst at 4 months of age, with approximately two-thirds of infants spitting up daily. GER typically improves after 7 months of age, with only ∼5% of infants continuing to have reflux at 1 year of age. The diagnosis can often be made based on clinical symptoms. Upper GI (UGI) study has low sensitivity and specificity and should not be ordered as a diagnostic test for reflux. UGI study is best for evaluating other anatomic causes of vomiting. GER becomes problematic gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) when complications are present, including feeding difficulties and poor weight gain. Conservative treatment and thickened formula can be helpful for treating GERD. Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are frequently prescribed for treating reflux. However, studies do not show a definite benefit in infants, and there are potential side effects. Older children with GERD may present with regurgitation, heartburn, chest discomfort, dysphagia, abdominal pain, vomiting, poor appetite, or poor weight gain. Upper endoscopy is considered for children with concerning symptoms, persistent symptoms despite treatment, and relapse of symptoms after treatment. Other esophageal disorders can have a similar clinical presentation as GERD, notably eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). EoE is a chronic immune-mediated disorder of the esophagus, which may present as dysphagia, food impaction, heartburn, vomiting, abdominal pain, feeding difficulties, or failure to thrive. Diagnosis is made histologically by the presence of esophageal eosinophilia on endoscopic biopsies in the correct clinical setting.
Tangicraft: A Multimodal Interface for Minecraft

With millions of players worldwide, Minecraft has become a rich context for playing, socializing and learning for children. However, as is the case with many video games, players must rely heavily on vision to navigate and participate in the game. We present our Work-In-Progress on Tangicraft, a multimodal interface designed to empower visually impaired children to play and collaborate around Minecraft. Our work includes two strands of prototypes. The first is a haptic sensing wearable. The second is a set of tangible blocks that communicate with the game environment using webcam-enabled codes.
Modeling Signals of Opportunity Scattering from Earth's Surface with an Improved Bistatic Radar Equation

The bistatic radar equation for surface-reflected GNSS signals proposed about two decades ago was derived under some limiting assumptions. First, it was obtained for the regime of strong diffuse scattering model which neglects the coherent component in the scattering signal. Secondly, it accounted for the Doppler effect due to the GNSS transmitter and the receiver motions only with respect to the carrier frequency of the reflected signal neglecting a similar effect with respect to the signal envelope. Recently, an improved version of the bistatic radar equation was proposed which considers coherent reflections and weak diffuse scattering and also accounts for the latter Doppler effect. The modification pertains also to the nature of the probing signal used: it can be any signal of opportunity. In this paper we analyze in more detail the scenarios when this effect can be important for GNSS-R altimetry.
Temporal envelope cues and simulations of cochlear implant signal processing

Abstract Conventional signal processing implemented on clinical cochlear implant (CI) sound processors is based on envelope signals extracted from overlapping frequency regions. Conventional strategies do not encode temporal envelope or temporal fine-structure cues with high fidelity. In contrast, several research strategies have been developed recently to enhance the encoding of temporal envelope and fine-structure cues. The present study examines the salience of temporal envelope cues when encoded into vocoder representations of CI signal processing. Normal-hearing listeners were evaluated on measures of speech reception, speech quality ratings, and spatial hearing when listening to vocoder representations of CI signal processing. Conventional vocoder techniques using envelope signals with noise- or tone-excited reconstruction were evaluated in comparison to a novel approach based on impulse-response reconstruction. A variation of this impulse-response approach was based on a research strategy, the Fundamentally Asynchronous Stimulus Timing (FAST) algorithm, designed to improve temporal precision of envelope cues. The results indicate that the introduced impulse-response approach, combined with the FAST algorithm, produces similar results on speech reception measures as the conventional vocoder approaches, while providing significantly better sound quality and spatial hearing outcomes. This novel approach for stimulating how temporal envelope cues are encoded into CI stimulation has potential for examining diverse aspects of hearing, particularly in aspects of musical pitch perception and spatial hearing.
Linearization of Median Genomes Under the Double-Cut-and-Join-Indel Model:

Reconstruction of the median genome consisting of linear chromosomes from three given genomes is known to be intractable. There exist efficient methods for solving a relaxed version of this problem...
EFEKTIVITAS KEPEMIMPINAN DALAM RANGKA MENINGKATKAN KOMITMEN ORGANISASI DI PT BIRO KLASIFIKASI INDONESIA (PERSERO)

The objectives of this research is to describe the roles of leadership effectiveness in increasing organizational commitment at PT Biro Klasifikasi Indonesia (Persero). The method of this research is descriptive quantitative and the instrument for collecting data is questionnaires. The main object of this research is Director of Research & Development Department . The respondents are 30 employees in Research & Development Department, which collaboration with Personel & General Affair Division, Planning Department, Finance Department, and Survey Division. The research result shows: 1) the role of leadership effectiveness in increasing of organizational commitment is high (mean 100, 93), 2) organizational commitment is high (mean 102,23), and 3) there is positive correlation between leadership effectiveness and organizational commitment.The conclusion is that leadership effectiveness has significantly increased organizational commitment. It is because there is strong intention or desire to achieve organization’s objectives under the supervision of effective leader. Keywords: leadership effectiveness, organizational commitment
Performance of Floating-point Intensive Kernels on Low-power Processor – A Case Study with Geodesic Distance Kernel

A processor, with a GPU and a CPU integrated on the same chip, is a promising low-power system for floating- point intensive applications. While an integrated GPU is not designed to outperform a discrete GPU due to its power, area, and thermal constraints, there is a need to better understand the performance of a floating-point intensive kernel using an integrated GPU. Toward this end, we choose a representative floating-point intensive kernel as a case study. We port the kernel with a vendor-neutral framework, analyze the compiler optimizations of the kernel at the assembly code, evaluate the relationship between floating-point operations per second and arithmetic intensity, and compare the performance and power of the kernel implementations on the CPU and GPU. Our key findings are: 1) Compared to an un-optimized kernel, the floating-point optimizations improve the performance of the single- and double-precision floating-point kernels executing on an Intel® GEN8 Iris Pro GPU by 15.4X and 5.4X, respectively; the optimizations also improve the performance of the two kernels by 5.6X and 3.4X on an Intel® Xeon® E3 CPU, respectively. 2) Achieving peak floating-point operations per second on the GPU requires much higher arithmetic intensity than that on the CPU. 3) Running the floating-point intensive kernel on the processor consumes 48 Watts, which is very close to the thermal power draw of the processor. The floating-point optimization can reduce the average GPU power from 35.7 W to 22.7 W for the double-precision kernel, and from 33.1 W to 8.8 W for the single-precision kernel.
The Psychology of Religious Rituals and Practices

The contemporary study of religious rituals and practices in psychology emerged out of early psychological theories as well as sociological and anthropological approaches, but the field now tends to utilize quantitative and experimental methods. Recent research in psychology has generated a number of insights regarding rituals and practices, especially in terms of outcomes like health and well-being – in addition to other social, emotional, and cognitive dynamics. This chapter briefly reviews some of the history, theory, methods, and findings from the psychology of religious rituals and practices.
Thinking beyond success and failure: Dutch water expertise and friction in postcolonial Jakarta:

In 2014, a consortium of Dutch firms revealed the master plan for Jakarta’s Great Garuda Sea Wall project, combining urban development and flood risk management. Though a ground-breaking ceremony w...
Molecular Au(I) Complexes In the Photosensitized Photocatalytic CO 2 Reduction Reaction

Five Au complexes are evaluated for the reduction reaction of CO2 via cyclic voltammetry and in a photocatalytic system. Electrochemically, the complexes were all evaluated for pre-association with CO2 prior to electrochemical reduction and for thermodynamic favorability for CO2 reduction in photocatalytic systems. The complexes were evaluated in photocatalytic reactions using an Ir-based photosensitizer and a sacrificial electron donor for the conversion of CO2 to CO. Au-complex counterion effects on the photocatalytic reaction were analyzed by varying weakly coordinating counterions with significant performance changes noted. At low Au-complex concentrations, a high TON value of 700 was observed.
Applications of Optimization Theory to Social Benefit Maximizations in Macroeconomics with Uncertainty

In this paper, we use the upward power preorder relation on the power sets of ordered sets to construct a mathematical social benefit maximization model in a fiscal year with respect to the initial...
Single Application Cold-Chain Independent Drug Delivery System for Outer Ear Infections.

Outer ear infections (OE) affect millions of people annually with significant associated healthcare costs. Incorrect administration or non-compliance with the treatment regimen can lead to infectio...
Redundant medication use during acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in hospitalized patients

Background Few clinical studies have evaluated redundant therapy during an exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in hospitalized patients, but clinical practice guidelines endorse this practice. Objective The aim of this study is to measure the frequency of redundant therapy and explore its association with clinical outcomes, adverse effects, and cost among adults hospitalized with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Setting Six hospitals within an academic health system in the United States. Method A retrospective cohort study of adults with a principal diagnosis of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease between January 1, 2016 and March 31, 2016 was performed. Main outcome measure The primary outcome was the proportion of patients who received redundant therapy during inpatient management of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Results Overall, 137 patients were included and 99 (72.7%) received redundant medication therapy. Redundant therapy was not associated with significant differences in clinical outcomes such as median hospital length of stay, 30-day readmission, tachycardia, thrush, psychiatric symptoms or urinary retention in the univariate or multivariate analyses. The median medication acquisition cost per patient was nearly 11-fold higher among those receiving redundant medication therapy [$135.14 (49.21) vs 12.50 (17.02); p < 0.001]. After controlling for confounding variables using multivariate linear regression, the cost of redundant medication therapy was $50.20 higher on average (p < 0.001). Conclusion Redundant inhaled therapy for acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the hospital setting was not associated with improved clinical outcomes or more adverse effects but did significantly increase medication cost. The findings of this study should be considered exploratory.
QEEG coherence patterns related to mathematics ability in children.

The current study investigates the utility of resting-state EEG coherence values in predicting standardized math scores in children. Quantitative EEG and standardized academic achievement analyses ...
Microcell-Mediated Chromosome Transfer

Somatic cell genetics is a field which encompasses a number of parasexual techniques that can be used to transfer genetic information from one mammalian cell to another. These techniques include somatic cell hybridization (Ruddle and Creagan, 1975), microcell-mediated chromosome transfer (Fournier and Ruddle, 1977a), chromosome-mediated gene transfer (McBride and Ozer, 1973), and DNA-mediated gene transfer (Wigler et al., 1978). The distinguishing features of each approach are (a) the form in which donor genetic material is presented to recipient cells, and (b) the fraction of the donor genome ultimately retained by the cells. Microcell-mediated chromosome transfer occupies a unique position in this hierarchy: although only a fraction of the donor genome is transferred to the recipients, the introduced genetic material is retained as intact chromosomes. Thus, karyo-typically simple clones can be constructed which contain only one or a few introduced chromosomes. Since the transferred genetic material can be identified using cytogenetic tests, microcell hybrids constitute powerful gene mapping tools.
The Dyadic Association among Technoference and Relationship and Sexual Satisfaction of Young Adult Couples

Technology use within relationships has been shown to produce potential rewards and costs that influence relationship development and/or sustainment; however, the negative influence of modern techn...
Effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals on hypothalamic oxytocin and vasopressin systems.

Exposures to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) perturb hormonal systems. EDCs are particularly problematic when exposure happens in the fetus and infant due to the high sensitivity of developing organisms to hormone actions. Previous work has shown that prenatal polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) exposure disrupts hypothalamic development, reproductive physiology, mate preference behavior, and social behaviors in a sexually dimorphic manner. Based on evidence that EDCs perturb social behaviors in rodents, we examined effects of PCBs on the neuropeptides oxytocin (OXT) and vasopressin (AVP) that are involved in regulating these behaviors. Rats were exposed prenatally (gestational days 16 and 18) to the weakly estrogenic PCB mixture Aroclor 1221 (0.5 or 1 mg/kg), to estradiol benzoate (EB, a positive control), or to the vehicle (3% dimethyl sulfoxide). In adult (~P90) brains, we counted immunolabeled oxytocin and vasopressin cell numbers in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and supraoptic nucleus (SON) of the hypothalamus. EDCs did not change absolute numbers of oxytocin or vasopressin cells in either region, although there were some modest shifts in the rostral-caudal distribution. Second, expression of genes for these nonapeptides (Oxt, Avp), their receptors (Oxtr, Avpr1a), and the estrogen receptor beta (Esr2), was determined by qPCR. In the PVN, there were dose-dependent effects of PCBs in males (Oxt, Oxtr), and effects of EB in females (Avp, Esr2). In the SON, Oxt, and Esr2 were affected by treatments in males. These changes to protein and gene expression caused by prenatal treatments suggest that transcriptional and posttranscriptional mechanisms play roles in mediating how EDCs reprogram hypothalamic development.
Naturalizing the Metaphysics of Science

Most practitioners of the metaphysics of science agree that it should be a naturalized metaphysics. But, just as in other areas of philosophy, there is no consensus on what constitutes naturalism. Here I will focus on just one aspect, viz., the idea that the metaphysics of science should be epistemically naturalized. In the first section I will characterize the kind of epistemic naturalism relevant to the metaphysics of science. The main idea, drawing on the work of Penelope Maddy, is that metaphysical inquiry is to be conducted and metaphysical claims justified in the very same way that scientific inquiry is conducted and scientific claims are justified. I then examine two prominent examples of metaphysicians of science proposing to “naturalize” the metaphysics of science, and argue that they fail to be epistemically natural. These are approaches due to James Ladyman and Don Ross, and to Anjan Chakravartty. Considering their failures shows us a way forward for naturalized metaphysics of science that is both more metaphysical and more scientific.
How Skin Tone Shapes Civic Engagement among Black Americans

“Color” describes the variations in skin tone and other phenotypic characteristics—such as hair texture, nose shape, and lip shape—among people of color. A wide variety of research demonstrates that color shapes the life experiences of people of color in almost every country in the world (Hunter, 2005).
Laryngeal Transplantation

Loss of natural voice and the presence of a laryngostoma often stigmatizes head and neck cancer surgery patients following laryngectomy. Extensive research has been performed investigating the feasibility of laryngeal transplantation in animal models. This has thus far resulted in two long-term successful human laryngeal transplantations. The procedure is technically demanding and requires immunosuppression, but leads to considerable improvement in quality of life. Additional research into better immunosuppression and surgical techniques may make laryngeal transplantation more widespread in the future.
Mechanism of dewatering porous structures with supercritical carbon dioxide

Abstract Wet porous structures such as coal, paper, wood and sludge are dewatered by supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) by a combination of two processes. The free water is physically displaced by the CO2 whereas the bound water is solubilized by it. The degree of displacement is exclusively dictated by the viscosity of sCO2, which is strongly dependent on temperature. Displacement is the most efficient means of dewatering possible, and the relatively mild temperatures used in this application should lead to favorable industrial economics.
Calcul sau Credinta? Aplicatii ale teoriei alegerii rationale in studiul religiei

The theory of rational choice is one of the most recent paradigms for the study of religion that strongly argues against previously dominant approaches such as the secularization thesis. The theory relies on more or less acceptable assumptions drawn from economic models of rational behavior, and offers interesting explanations or predictions supported by an impressive amount of data. The innovative approach introduced by the advocates or rational choice is a shift in focus from the demand side to the supply side of religion, emphasizing religious entre- preneurs and competing churches that act rationally in a religious market. In spite of the criticism directed to their assumption, the ambiguousness of the utility concept, the male centered perspective, or the total disregard of the influence of emotions when making decisions, the theory of rational choice remains one of the most seri- ous challenges to alternative theories of religious behaviour.
Origin and Possible Significance of Alanine Production by Skeletal Muscle

These experiments were undertaken to determine the source of alanine released by skeletal muscle and to clarify the possible relationships between this process and the degradation of branched chain amino acids, the release of glutamine, and protein turnover in this tissue. During incubation in vitro, the rat diaphragm underwent net protein breakdown and released amino acids into the medium at a linear rate. The diaphragm released larger amounts of alanine and glutamine and lower amounts of leucine, isoleucine, and valine than would be expected from the average composition of muscle protein. Addition of the branched chain amino acids increased the production of alanine, glutamate, lysine, but not glutamine by the diaphragm in a concentration-dependent manner. At the same time, the branched chain amino acids inhibited net protein breakdown; therefore the increased amounts of alanine, glutamate, and lysine must have resulted from de novo synthesis or reduced catabolism of these amino acids. All the other amino acids together failed to increase the production of alanine or glutamate. Alanine production in muscle appears related to the rapid oxidation of the branched chain amino acids. In diaphragms from fasted rats, both processes occurred at increased rates. Amino groups released on oxidation of branched chain amino acids could account for all nitrogen recovered in alanine. Alanine production by diaphragms from fasted rats increased upon addition of glucose and even further when insulin was present. The muscle incorporated 14C from [U-14C]glucose into alanine, and addition of branched chain amino acids increased the production of [14C]alanine from [14C]glucose. Therefore, alanine production does not reflect protein degradation in muscle but instead appears to be synthesized de novo primarily from exogenous glucose and from amino groups released by catabolism of branched chain amino acids. These findings suggest the existence of a branched chain amino acid-alanine cycle in the organism. During fasting, enhanced oxidation of branched chain amino acids by muscle would provide energy for muscle, while the concomitant synthesis of alanine from glucose would serve to shuttle ammonia and gluconeogenic precursors back to the liver.
Transcranial Doppler with bubble study as a method to detect extracardiac right-to-left shunts in patients with ischemic stroke.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Paradoxical embolism through extracardiac right-to-left shunts (ECRLS) may represent an under-detected stroke mechanism. Stroke patients without evidence of cardiac right-to-left shunt (RLS) on echocardiogram may benefit from transcranial Doppler with bubble study (TCD-b) to aid in recognition of stroke etiology. This study assesses the usefulness of TCD-b in the stroke evaluation. METHODS Retrospective cohort study of consecutive patients undergoing TCD-b performed in our neurovascular laboratory from February 2005 to August 2009. Echocardiography results were reviewed in patients with positive TCD-b. Detailed medical record review was performed on patients with positive TCD-b and negative echocardiogram findings for RLS. RESULTS Of 502 patients undergoing TCD-b, 48.4% (n = 243) had a positive study suggesting the presence of RLS. Of these, 59.2% (n = 144) had an echocardiogram demonstrating a cardiac RLS, 26% (n = 63) had echocardiograms without evidence of cardiac RLS, and 14.8% (n = 36) had no echocardiogram. Data on the evaluation to determine source of potential shunting in patients with discrepant findings was available in 11(17.5%). Of these, 63.6% (7/11) had potential mechanisms for positive TCD-b: one pulmonary arteriovenous malformation (AVM), one arteriovenous fistula thrombus, one parietal AVM, and four had malignancy. CONCLUSIONS TCD-bubble studies may prove useful in uncovering treatable causes of stroke.
Pseudomonas dermatitis associated with a swimming pool.

One hundred forty-seven (66%) of 224 scouts and chaperons were interviewed after a weekend visit to a dude ranch in upstate New York. One hundred seventeen (80%) complained of papular rashes or eye and ear inflammation. Onset of illness occurred within 24 to 48 hours of arrival at the ranch. After controlling for participation in other available activities, only swimming was found to be associated with illness.Pseudomonas aeruginosaserotype 0 11 grew from a culture of pool water and from 17 cultures of skin, eye, and ear lesions in visitors to the ranch. Follow-up was obtained for 76 of the affected persons for whom initial information was available. Mean duration of illness was 14.5 days (range, one to 40+ days). The recurrence rate was 24%. (JAMA1985;253:1156-1159)
Modeling atmospheric sulfur over the Northern Hemisphere during the Aerosol Characterization Experiment 2 experimental period

A high-resolution (1{sup o} x 1{sup o}, 27 vertical levels) Eulerian chemical transport and transformation model for sulfate, SO{sub 2}, and related species driven by analyzed forecast meteorological data has been run for the Northern Hemisphere for June-July 1997 and extensively evaluated with observational data, mainly from air-quality and precipitation chemistry networks. For {approx}5000 evaluations, 50% of the modeled sulfate 24-h mixing ratios were within a factor of 1.85 of the observations; 50% of {approx}328 concurrent subgrid observations were within a factor of 1.33. Much greater subgrid variation for 24-h SO{sub 2} mixing ratios (50% of {approx}3552 observations were within a factor of 2.32) reflects high variability of this primary species; for {approx}12,600 evaluations 50% of modeled mixing ratios were within a factor of 2.54 of the observations. These results indicate that a substantial fraction of the modeled and observed differences is due to subgrid variation and/or measurement error. Sulfate mixing ratios are identified by source type (biogenic, volcanic, and anthropogenic) and production mechanism (primary and by gas-phase and aqueous-phase oxidation). Examination of key diagnostics showed substantial variation for the different types of sulfur, e.g., SO{sub 2} aqueous-phase oxidation rates of 29 to 102% day{sup -1}, sulfate residence times ofmore » 4 to 9 days. Volcanic emissions contributed 10% of the sulfate burden and 6% of emissions, because the elevated release allows 2 large fractional conversion of SO{sub 2} and long residence time. Biogenic SO{sub 2} was generally at lower concentrations than H{sub 2}O{sub 2}, resulting in efficient aqueous-phase oxidation; this source type contributed 13% of emissions but only 5% of sulfate burden. Anthropogenic sources were the dominant contributors to sulfur emissions, 80%, and sulfate burden, 84%.« less
Yin Yang 1 Is Increased in Human Heart Failure and Represses the Activity of the Human α-Myosin Heavy Chain Promoter

Yin Yang 1 (YY1) is a transcription factor that can repress or activate transcription of the genes with which it interacts. In this report we show that YY1 is a negative regulator of the α-myosin heavy chain (αMyHC) gene, which, with βMyHC are the molecular motors of the heart. αMyHC mRNA and protein levels are down-regulated in hypertrophy and heart failure, and this is thought to be detrimental for cardiac contractility. We show that YY1 specifically interacts with the αMyHC promoter and that overexpression of YY1 in cardiac cells represses the activity of the αMyHC promoter. We also show that the 170–200-amino acid region of YY1, important for its interaction with histone acetyl transferases and histone deacetylases, is important for its repressive activity and that YY1 deleted in this region is an activator of the αMyHC promoter. Moreover, we show that YY1 levels and DNA binding activity are increased in failing human left ventricles and in a mouse model of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, where αMyHC levels are decreased. These results suggest that YY1 is a negative regulator of αMyHC gene expression.
Economic Impacts, Value Added, and Benefits in Regional Project Analysis: Comment

In a recent article appearing in this Journal, Hamilton, Whittlesey, Robison, and Ellis (HWRE) address five issues that can arise from the estimation of secondary benefits in regional project analysis. In examining these issues, HWRE argue that at most only a small part of secondary benefits resulting from any regional project can be treated as regional net benefits. The argument is well articulated and represents the latest of a long line of articles dealing with the problem of using estimates of regional economic impact (usually estimated with a regional input-output model) as a measure of project benefits or costs (Cooke; Stabler et al.; Hamilton and Gardner; Young and Gray). The principal concern in HWRE is to ensure that changes in regional value added (or income) due to a project are not mistaken for project benefits in benefit-cost calculations. We are reminded that "the as-
Application of Multivariate Curve Resolution for Analysis of FT-IR Microspectroscopic Images of in Situ Plant Tissue

The chemometric techniques of multivariate curve resolution (MCR) are aimed at extracting the spectra and concentrations of individual components present in mixtures using a minimum set of initial assumptions. We present results from the application of alternating least squares (ALS) based MCR to the analysis of hyperspectral images of in situ biological material. The spectra of individual pure components were mathematically extracted and then identified by searching the spectra against a commercial library. No prior information about the chemical composition of the material was used in the data analysis. The spectra recovered by ALS-MCR analysis of an FT-IR microspectroscopic image of an 8-μm-corn-kernel section matched very well the spectra of the corn storage protein, zein, and starch. Through the application of MCR, we were able to show the presence of a second spectrally different protein, which could not be easily seen using univariate analysis. These results demonstrate the value of multivariate curve resolution techniques for the analysis of biological tissue. The value of principal components analysis (PCA) for hyperspectral image analysis is also discussed.
Homophily of Network Ties and Bonding and Bridging Social Capital in Computer‐Mediated Distributed Teams

This research studied homophily of network ties in distributed teams in both task-related instrumental networks and non-task related expressive networks. Homophily of network ties was examined in terms of demographic and social characteristics, including gender, race, geographic location, and group assignment. Social network data were collected from 32 students enrolled in a distance learning class from two universities. MQAP regression analysis showed that homophily in gender and in race had no significant impact on the development of either instrumental or expressive ties. In instrumental networks, both homophily in group assignment and in location had significant impact on the development of network ties. In expressive networks, homophily in location had significant impact on the development of network ties, but the impact of homophily in group membership was only marginally significant. Further analysis of bonding ties with people of the same group and bridging ties with people from different groups showed that bonding social capital can exert significant influence on performance.
A Distributed Market Based Solution for DC Optimal Power Flow Problem

Smart grid has generated much attention recently due to its potential in bringing a revolutionary change in the production, distribution, and utilization of electric power. However, before a smart grid can become fully functional, it requires technological advancements in a number of interdisciplinary domains. Even though smart grid facilitates run-time optimal allocation of power via extensive instrumentation and information accessibility, the process of optimal power allocation becomes challenging due to the massively distributed generation facilities, loads, and due to the intermittency of generation. In this paper, a Market Based technique has been presented to solve the DC optimal power flow problem in a smart grid. The DC optimal power flow problem aims at determining the power generated at each station and voltage angles associated with each bus in the transmission system. The Market Based Resource Allocation is inspired from the concepts in economic market, where resources are allocated to activities through the process of competitive buying and selling. In the proposed technique, every bus in the system acts as a potential power buyer and/or seller. The proposed method derives its significance due to its ability in optimizing power flow in a grid in a distributed manner, i.e., from local interactions. This feature provides immense scalability and robustness to uncertainties. In addition, this paper presents the evaluation of the proposed Market Based technique via a number of simulated scenarios of power consumers and producers in a Smart Grid. The IEEE 30-bus system with six generation units is used to test the proposed method in optimizing the total generation cost, and the results are compared with that obtained from widely used Matpower software.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Risk of colorectal cancer among Caucasian and African American veterans with ulcerative colitis.

Background: African Americans are at an increased risk of developing sporadic colorectal cancer (CRC) compared to Caucasians. Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a risk factor for developing CRC; however, risk differences for CRC between African Americans and Caucasians with UC are unknown. Methods: We performed a cohort study of patients with a diagnosis of UC during fiscal years 1998 to 2009 using the national Veterans Affairs administrative datasets. Cumulative CRC incidence rates and incidence rate ratios were calculated and Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine the association between race and the CRC risk. Results: The cohort comprised of 20,949 patients with UC. A total of 168 incident cases of CRC were identified during 112,243 patient-years (PY) of follow-up; overall CRC incidence rate was 163/100,000 PY (95% confidence interval [CI] 139–187/100,000 PY). The CRC incidence rates were 158/100,000 PY (95% CI 134–181/100,000 PY) and 180/100,000 PY (95% CI 155–205/100,000 PY) in Caucasians and African Americans, respectively, with an incidence rate ratio of 1.17 (95% CI 0.69–1.97). The 3, 5, and 10-year cumulative incidence rates for CRC were 0.36%, 0.76%, 1.79% for African Americans and 0.41%, 0.76%, 1.43% for Caucasians. African Americans were not at an increased risk for CRC (adjusted hazard ratio: 1.10, 95% CI 0.65–1.87) compared to Caucasians. Conclusions: In a national cohort of UC patients the risk of developing CRC in African Americans was no higher than in Caucasians. The reasons for lack of racial differences compared to sporadic CRC are not clear; access to care, genetic factors, and molecular pathways require further study. (Inflamm Bowel Dis 2012;)
Rotation rate and velocity dispersion of planetary ring particles with size distribution II. Numerical simulation for gravitating particles

Abstract We examine rotation rates of gravitating particles in low optical depth rings, on the basis of the evolution equation of particle rotational energy derived by Ohtsuki [Ohtsuki, K., 2006. Rotation rate and velocity dispersion of planetary ring particles with size distribution. I. Formulation and analytic calculation. Icarus 183, 373–383]. We obtain the rates of evolution of particle rotation rate and velocity dispersion, using three-body orbital integration that takes into account distribution of random velocities and rotation rates. The obtained stirring and friction rates are used to calculate the evolution of velocity dispersion and rotation rate for particles in one- and two-size component rings as well as those with a narrow size distribution, and agreement with N-body simulation is confirmed. Then, we perform calculations to examine equilibrium rotation rates and velocity dispersion of gravitating ring particles with a broad size distribution, from 1 cm up to 10 m. We find that small particles spin rapidly with 〈 ω 2 〉 1 / 2 / Ω ≳ 10 2 – 10 3 , where ω and Ω are the particle rotation rate and its orbital angular frequency, respectively, while the largest particles spin slowly, with 〈 ω 2 〉 1 / 2 / Ω ≲ 1 . The vertical scale height of rapidly rotating small particles is much larger than that of slowly rotating large particles. Thus, rotational states of ring particles have vertical heterogeneity, which should be taken into account in modeling thermal infrared emission from Saturn's rings.
Florian Znaniecki: A short reminiscence

This brief account of the author's interactions with Florian Znaniecki centers on the scholarly impact of Thomas and Znaniecki's five-volume Polish Peasant in Europe and America and on Znaniecki's early contributions to the sociology of science.
Research in Great Australian Bight yields exciting early results

Confirmation that Pleistocene mound features underlying the outer shelf and shelf edge are bryozoan buildups—effectively coolwater reefs—was one of several exciting discoveries during recent research earlier this year on the Great Australian Bight. Also found on Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Leg 182 was startling evidence of high salinity fluid circulation within the shelf substrate, producing extremely high methane and hydrogen sulfide gas levels and accelerated diagenesis. In addition, an expanded middle Eocene to early Oligocene record of Southern Ocean initiation was recovered by the shipboard scientific party, aboard the JOIDES Resolution. The group also calculated unexpectedly high rates of shelf edge cool-water carbonate accumulation (up to 40 cm/kyr).
A multipath interference cancellation technique for WCDMA downlink receivers

In this paper, we present a simple interference cancellation technique for the downlink of wideband code-division multiple-access (WCDMA) systems in multipath environment. With the same knowledge required by a RAKE receiver, the present method acts as an equalizer and cancels the interfering multipath signals from the received signal to retrieve the orthogonality property of the received signal. The present receiver has a simple structure and it has significant performance gain against the RAKE receiver. In addition, the noise enhancement is negligible when there is a line of sight path or the channel power delay profile has an exponential decaying form. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Er-Doped GaAs for High Speed Photoconductor Applications

The observation of 1.54 μm luminescence in erbium-doped-GaAs (GaAs:Er) and Al x Ga l-x As, has stimulated research efforts because of their potential application to light sources in optical communications. In this paper, we study a different aspect of the photoresponse behavior of this material. The dependence of the carrier lifetime on the doping concentration of Erbium is investigated in GaAs:Er grown by MBE. A reduction in the carrier lifetime down to ∼1 ps is observed for the highest doping (∼5×10 19 cm −3 ) investigated. Together with the high-resistivity observed for the higher doping values, this material serves as a novel photoconductor material for high-speed optoelectronics.
EFFICIENCY AND EQUITY CONSIDERATIONS IN FINANCING AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND EXTENSION

Benefits resulting from agricultural research and extension activities conducted in one region may affect producers and consumers throughout the country. Measurement of these benefit spillovers is required to equitably and efficiently finance these activities. Spillover benefit ratios per dollar of internal benefits for all farm production regions in the United States are calculated using an economic surplus framework to account for the effects of research and extension on both producers and consumers. In nine out of ten regions, the spillover ratios are greater than one, indicating that benefits accruing outside the region conducting research and extension activities are greater than the benefits accruing internally to the region. The average spillover ratio, which is 3.71 for all regions, is greater than the ratio of federal expenditures to regional expenditures. The implication of these ratios being unequal is that the federal contribution would need to be increased in order for regional costs to match regional benefits.
The Effect of X‐Irradiation On Cell Loss In Five Solid Murine Tumours, As Determined By the 125Iudr Method

The rate of cell loss in irradiated RIF-1, EMT6, KHJJ, B16 and KHT tumours was studied using the 125IUdR loss technique. Administration of 125IUdR preceded localized tumour irradiation by 2 days. Loss of tumour radioactivity was measured for 6-8 days after irradiation. The blood flow to some tumours was occluded during, and for 30 min following, injection of the label to measure the amount of radioactivity entering the tumour as a result of reutilization of label from the gut epithelia and influx of labelled host cells. Irradiation did not significantly alter the amount of radioactivity entering these clamped tumours during the 8-10 days after injection of 125IUdR. This permitted comparison of irradiated and control groups based on the loss of radioactivity from the non-occluded tumours. Irradiation of RIF-1, EMT6, KHJJ or B16 tumours with doses of 600, 1400, 2400 or 4400 rads produced no significant increase in the rate of loss of tumour radioactivity. This suggested that, in the population of labelled cells, cell lysis following irradiation proceeded slowly. In contrast, KHT tumours showed a significant increase in loss rate following each radiation dose, although the increase was dose-independent. In all tumour systems, the constant rate of cell loss after radiation appeared to coincide with published reports of tumour growth responses after irradiation. The present data suggest that the manner of expression of radiation-induced cell killing results from the cellular proliferative status, i.e. whether a cell is cycling or non-cycling.
Conspecific plant–soil feedbacks reduce survivorship and growth of tropical tree seedlings

Summary 1. The Janzen–Connell (J–C) Model proposes that host-specific enemies maintain high tree species diversity by reducing seedling performance near conspecific adults and promoting replacement by heterospecific seedlings. Support for this model often comes from decreased performance for a species at near versus far distances from conspecific adults. However, the relative success of conspecific versus heterospecific seedlings recruiting under a given tree species is a critical, but untested, component of the J–C Model. 2. In a shade-house experiment, we tested plant–soil feedbacks as a J–C mechanism in six tropical tree species. We assessed effects of conspecific versus heterospecific cultured soil extracts on seedling performance for each species, and we compared performance of conspecific versus heterospecific seedlings grown with soil extract cultured by a particular tree species. Additionally, we tested whether soil microbes were creating these plant–soil feedbacks and whether low light increased species vulnerability to pathogens. 3. Among 30 potential comparisons of survival and mass for seedlings grown in conspecific versus heterospecific soil extracts, survival decreased in seven and increased in two, whereas mass decreased in 13 and increased in 1. To integrate survival and growth, we also examined seedling performance [(mean total mass × mean survival time)/(days of experiment)], which was lower in 16 and higher in 2 of 30 comparisons between seedlings grown with soil extract cultured by conspecific versus heterospecific individuals. Based on performance within a soil extract, conspecific seedlings were disadvantaged in 15 and favoured in 7 of 30 cases relative to heterospecific seedlings. 4. Species pairwise interactions of soil modification and seedling performance occurred regardless of sterilization, suggesting chemical mediation. Microbes lacked host-specificity and reduced performance regardless of extract source and irradiance. 5. Synthesis. These results, along with parallel research in temperate forests, suggest that plant–soil feedbacks are an important component of seedling dynamics in both ecosystems. However, negative conspecific feedbacks were more prevalent in tropical than temperate species. Thus, negative plant–soil feedbacks appear to facilitate species coexistence via negative distance-dependent processes in tropical but not temperate forests, but the feedbacks were mediated through chemical effects rather than through natural enemies as expected under the J–C Model.
A zero power consumption Multi-Capacitor structure for voltage summing in high-speed FFE

Conventional current-mode summation utilized in feed-forward equalization (FFE) has disadvantages in power consumption and linearity and thus becomes less attractive when high-speed low-power equalization is required. A Multi-Capacitor (MultiCap) structure is presented to overcome these disadvantages by supporting voltage-mode summation. This passive structure replaces the current-summation block of the transmit FFE and has zero power consumption. A set of equations are derived to estimate the useable value of the MultiCap, of which the range is bounded by I/O pitch, receiver sensitivity, and other parameters. The parasitics of this device are proven to be negligible. Simulation in 0.13µm standard CMOS process shows that the MultiCap structure could enable a power saving of more than 90% over the conventional current-mode FFE.
Infra-Hisian Atrioventricular Block

A quadripolar catheter was placed at the Hisbundle region. At baseline, the patient was in sinus rhythmwith 2:1 AV block with RBBB on conducted beats (see Fig. 1A). Intracardiac recordings demonstrated infra-Hisian block with nonconducted beats (Fig. 2). Intermittently, 1:1 AV conduction would resume, sometimes, but not always, following a premature atrial contraction (PAC) with RBBB aberrancy, followed by LBBB with the 1:1 conducted beats (see Fig. 1B;
Trace-element anomalies at the Mississippian/Pennsylvanian boundary in Oklahoma and Texas

Trace-element abundance anomalies have been found at the Mississippian/Pennsylvania boundary at sites in Oklahoma and Texas where the boundary has been precisely located on the basis of an abrupt change in conodont diversity and species composition. Enriched elements include osmium, indium, platinum, chromium, most chalcophiles, rare earths, and uranium. The anomalies are more intense (e.g., Os = 4 ppb, Ir = 0.38 ppb, Pt = 6 ppb, Cr = 12000 ppm, U = 380 ppm) and peisist through a thicker interval at the south-central Texas locality than in Oklahoma, and in bolh locations the anomalies are associated with an increase in phosphate content of the rocks. There is no tangible evidence of an asteroid or comet impact source for the excess Pt-group elements and fauna! crisis. The cause of the elemental enrichments and the biological disturbance may possibly be related to a change in the ocean chemistry of the Paleozoic seaway, such as increased upwelling, stagnation, or nearby submarine volcanism.