cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Operating Methods in Cartridge Anaerobic Digestion of Corn Stover

Anaerobic digestion of lignocellulosic biomass faces changes such as biomass floating and effluent discharge. To overcome these challenges, a unique removable cartridge anaerobic digester was built and tested using corn stover as the feedstock. Three operating methods differing in the number of cartridges and days of rotation were tested. The first method used three cartridges, with each cartridge being rotated every 7 days. The second and third methods employed four cartridges, with cartridges being rotated every 7 and 9–10 days, respectively. The retention time for methods 1, 2, and 3 was 21, 28, and 38 days, respectively. After observation spanning 1 year, it was found that the cartridge digester was capable of generating a stable amount of biogas for energy without biomass floating or effluent discharging issues. The average daily methane yield from each method was 7.57, 7.11, and 6.82 L/day/kg-VS, and the cumulative methane yield was 158.95, 199.04, and 259.00 L/kg-VS, respectively. Ammonium nitrogen and pH values were in normal ranges throughout the experiment. This study provided new knowledge in operating and optimizing this cartridge digester, which may be broadly used for the anaerobic digestion of lignocellulosic biomass in the near future.
Improving Calibration through the Relationship with Adversarial Robustness

Neural networks lack adversarial robustness -- they are vulnerable to adversarial examples that through small perturbations to inputs cause incorrect predictions. Further, trust is undermined when models give miscalibrated uncertainty estimates, i.e. the predicted probability is not a good indicator of how much we should trust our model. In this paper, we study the connection between adversarial robustness and calibration on four classification networks and datasets. We find that the inputs for which the model is sensitive to small perturbations (are easily attacked) are more likely to have poorly calibrated predictions. Based on this insight, we examine if calibration can be improved by addressing those adversarially unrobust inputs. To this end, we propose Adversarial Robustness based Adaptive Label Smoothing (AR-AdaLS) that integrates the correlations of adversarial robustness and uncertainty into training by adaptively softening labels for an example based on how easily it can be attacked by an adversary. We find that our method, taking the adversarial robustness of the in-distribution data into consideration, leads to better calibration over the model even under distributional shifts. In addition, AR-AdaLS can also be applied to an ensemble model to further improve model's calibration.
Excess Systolic Hypertension in Post-Menopausal Women Originates in Their Early-30s, a Decade Before the Decline of Estrogen Concentrations Decline

Background: In young adults blood pressure, hypertension rates, and CVD risk are lower in women than similarly aged men. However, soon after menopause hypertension and CVD rates converge with, and overtake those of men. Thus, by their mid-50s, most women are hypertensive, and CVD becomes the leading cause of death. While this age-related increase in blood pressure and hypertension is largely attributed to menopause, and the concomitant decrease in estradiol concentrations, there is little empirical evidence to support this hypothesis. Methods: Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study was analyzed by segmented regression analysis to determine the relationship between systolic blood pressure and age. Data from NHANES was further stratified by Body Mass Index (BMI) and antihypertensive drug use to determine their impact on blood pressure. Estradiol concentrations (NHANES 2013-2016) were graphed against age to determine the start of menopause. Findings: Segmented regression analysis determined that the age-related increase in systolic blood pressure and systolic hypertension began when the women were in their early-30s, a decade before estrogen concentrations decline. BMI and antihypertensive drug use modified the response, but not the overall trend. Interpretation: Contrary to the commonly cited hypothesis, the age-related increase in hypertension is not related to menopause, nor decreased estradiol concentrations. Rather, the rise in systolic blood pressure and hypertension begins over a decade earlier, in a woman’s early-30s. These finding suggest that monitoring, and perhaps prophylactic treatment, of hypertension should begin at least a decade before menopause. Funding Statement: No funding was received for this study, nor for preparing and submitting the manuscript. Declaration of Interests: The Authors states that there is no conflict of interest. Ethics Approval Statement: Ethical approval for the study was provided by the University of Florida Institutional Review Board.
Emerging strategies for precision microbiome management in diverse agroecosystems.

Substantial efforts to characterize the structural and functional diversity of soil, plant and insect-associated microbial communities have illuminated the complex interacting domains of crop-associated microbiomes that contribute to agroecosystem health. As a result, plant-associated microorganisms have emerged as an untapped resource for combating challenges to agricultural sustainability. However, despite growing interest in maximizing microbial functions for crop production, resource efficiency and stress resistance, research has struggled to harness the beneficial properties of agricultural microbiomes to improve crop performance. Here, we introduce the historical arc of agricultural microbiome research, highlighting current progress and emerging strategies for intentional microbiome manipulation to enhance crop performance and sustainability. We synthesize current practices and limitations to managing agricultural microbiomes and identify key knowledge gaps in our understanding of microbe-assisted crop production. Finally, we propose research priorities that embrace a holistic view of crop microbiomes for achieving precision microbiome management that is tailored, predictive and integrative in diverse agricultural systems. Managing agricultural microbiomes is an efficient approach to improve crop performance in agroecosystems. This Review summarizes the current state of knowledge from less to more targeted approaches to manage soil, plant and pest-associated microbiomes. The authors also identify the knowledge gaps in relation to current agricultural practices in microbiome management.
Investor Beliefs in the Midst of a Market Crash and the Covid 19 Pandemic: Survey and Experimental Evidence

In March of 2020, the stock market fell 34%, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. How do market crashes affect the way investors form beliefs regarding future market returns? To investigate, we surveyed two mTurk panels during the March 2020 meltdown. One after the SP Malmendier and Nagel, 2011.
Griggs v Bounce N’ Around Inflatables, LLC: Why Child Labor Law Violations Should Warrant Increased Workers’ Compensation Coverage for Minors

Many working in the State of Louisiana have heard that one cannot sue his employer for an injury that occurred on the job. This is because the Louisiana Workers’ Compensation Law provides that the workers’ compensation system is an employee’s exclusive remedy for injuries or diseases arising out of and in the course and scope of his employment. Separately, the layperson may also be familiar with laws regulating child labor. Laws protecting working minors reflect weighty tenets of public policy valuing the safety of children and the need to prevent the exploitation of vulnerable groups like minors. Thus, when a minor is injured on the job while illegally employed or performing a task prohibited by child labor laws, it seems that the Workers’ Compensation Law would not shield an employer from liability because public policy weighs so heavily in favor of protecting children. However, in resolving a split among appellate courts, the Louisiana Supreme Court’s recent decision in Griggs v Bounce N’ Around Inflatables, LLC demonstrates that such an assumption is incorrect. Minors injured while illegally employed and performing prohibited tasks are nevertheless bound to the exclusive remedy of workers’ compensation. This Article explicates the Griggs decision and preceding cases examining the interaction between laws protecting minors and the Workers’ Compensation Law. It illustrates the unfortunate truth that the court’s decision was in fact correct based on legislative intent and that the totality of the public policy considerations at play prevented a policy-based ruling. The author suggests that the policy underpinning the child labor laws would be better honored by increasing the workers’ compensation award when the employer has violated child labor laws. The Article explains that this is the practice of many other states and may be implemented in such a way that maintains the employer-employee balance fundamental to the workers’ compensation scheme.
Holographic mirrors for spatial ultrasound modulation in contactless acoustic energy transfer systems

This work introduces and investigates a flat acoustic mirror capable of efficiently manipulating a wavefront and creating an arbitrary pressure pattern in a target plane using the sound reflection phenomenon. The mirror is a metallic holographic lens that performs as a spatial ultrasound modulator by introducing a relative phase shift to the reflected wavefront. The phase-shifting lens is designed using an iterative angular spectrum algorithm and 3D-printed from powdered aluminum through direct metal laser melting. The lens's capabilities to construct diffraction-limited complex pressure patterns under water are tested numerically and experimentally. The proposed holographic mirror design can drive immense improvements in applications involving contactless acoustic energy transfer, which is investigated in this Letter.
NASA Technical Standards Program Overview

Contents include the following: Establish and maintain "NASA Preferred Technical Standard" as a common baseline for NASA programs. Support the use of technical standards on NASA program in the systems requirement process.
Temperature-Dependent Characteristics of GaN Homojunction Rectifiers

We report a homojunction gallium nitride (GaN) p-i-n rectifier fabricated on free-standing GaN substrates with the breakdown voltage $>800$ V and low specific on-resistance ( $R_{\mathrm{{\scriptscriptstyle ON}}}A$ ). At 298 K, $R_{\mathrm{{\scriptscriptstyle ON}}}A$ is 0.28 $\text{m}\Omega $ -cm $^{2}$ at the current density ( $J$ ) of 2.5 kA/cm $^{\vphantom {R^{R^{}}}2}$ and the corresponding Baliga’s figure of merit is $>2.5$ GW/cm $^{2}$ . At a given temperature, $R_{\mathrm{{\scriptscriptstyle ON}}}A$ values decrease with $J$ due to conductivity modulation in the drift region. The ambipolar lifetime ( $\tau _{a})$ is also determined by open-circuit voltage decay measurement. The value for $\tau _{a }$ is 9.6 ns at 298 K and it monotonically increases to 22 ns at 448 K. The reverse $I$ – $V$ measurement reveals the reverse leakage current mechanism is mainly attributed to a field-assisted ionization process from deep-level centers in the space-charge region. The analysis of $T$ – $I$ – $V$ curve yields the Poole-Frenkel coefficient ( $\sim 3.1\times 10^{-4} ~\text {eV} \cdot \text {V}^{-1/2}\cdot {\rm cm}^{-1/2})$ and a deep-level trap ( $\sim 0.7$ eV) at zero bias.
Immunity to feline toxoplasmosis: modification by administration of corticosteroids.

Forty-nine cats were infected orally or parenterally with Toxoplasma gondii. The duration of oocyst shedding after primary infection was similar after single or multiple infection. After 2–32 weeks...
Broadband (3.9–9.6 μm) photocurrent in quantum cascade detector with diagonal transitions

By carefully designing diagonal transitions in the active region, we present a broadband mid-infrared quantum cascade detector with photocurrent ranging from 3.9 to 9.6 μm, more than 2 times broader than stacked designs.
Four Grammatical Hypotheses on Actions, Causes, and “Causes”

Crucial to recent conceptualizations by grammarians (e.g., Shibatani 1976a and Talmy 1976) is that every causal situation reported, described, or presupposed by the use of causatives and some related verbs (including uses of ‘causes’ but excluding what I have called ‘causal’ verbs) involves somehow a’cause event’ where this event is the event that is a cause (as versus an agent) of some happening, state, process, etc. (what it caused, the ‘effectevent’). This cannot, however, be the case if actions are included in the causal situations in question (which I believe they are, as both Shibatani and Talmy appear to agree). The reason there is not always a’cause-event’ even if frequently there is is that there are basic actions. Sentences used to express such basic acts don’t necessarily involve or presuppose that there is a ‘cause-event’ other than the basic act itself (which, it will turn out, isn’t a ‘cause-event’ in the sense of being a cause of the only candidate for the ‘effectevent’, but rather is a ‘complex event’ about which more below under Hypothesis II that contains the candidate ‘effect-event’).
Models for lifting load capacity of Indonesian population

Regression models were developed to predict the maximum acceptable weight of lift (MAWL) for Indonesian population based on anthropometric and job related variables. Job related variables including lifting frequency, lifting height, and vertical distance of lift and 16 anthropometric variables were used in this study. A comparison between the MAWL obtained from this study, NIOSH RWL and the predicted MAWL of U.S. workers were conducted. RWL were much lower than the MAWL for both Indonesian and U.S. workers. Also, the Indonesian workers had higher MAWL compared to the U.S. population.
Cruise brand management.

Brands have always been associated with cruise and line voyage operations, but the branding concept has taken on new meaning in the modern cruise industry. In the consolidation of cruise lines under a few major corporate structure today, the acquiring entity has most often chosen to invest in lines acquired under their existing names, retaining separate brand identity. The author summarizes industry experiences with the acquisition and management of multiple brands under a single corporate structure, together with the rationale and advantages, this article is an updated and expanded version of that first given at the Seatrade Cruise Shipping Convention March 11, 1999.
The Energy Distribution of Complex Molecules

It is shown that, for any distribution law in which Boltzmann's law holds for the various quantum states, dlog W/dT=(eW-e)/kT2, where W is the fraction of the molecules in certain specified quantum states, eW the average energy of the molecules in these states, e the average energy of all the molecules, T the absolute temperature, and k the gas constant. The distribution law will appear to be continuous if not viewed too closely, even though motions of the molecules are quantized. In what follows we consider the continuous outline and neglect the fine structure. If Wede is the fraction of molecules whose energy lies between e and e+de, we have the general rule ∂2log We/∂T∂e=1/kT2. Proceeding along these lines we can find in a new and simple way the distribution law over a range of energies if the average energy of the molecules (or the energy at which We is a maximum) is given over a range of temperatures. At a given temperature we can compare the actual distribution law with a classical one which makes We have a maximum at the same energy, and we find a limit beyond which the actual distribution law cannot depart from this particular classical law, provided the molecule is made up of a group of rotators and harmonic oscillators, and is sufficiently complex. An example is considered, which is of interest in the theory of the decomposition of azomethane.
Nasal absorption of naloxone and buprenorphine in rats

Abstract The nasal administration of naloxone (30 μg/rat) and buprenorphine (135 μg/rat) was studied in male rats following single doses and compared with intravenous and intraduodenal administration of the two drugs. The nasal bioavailabilities calculated from the ratio of the AUC (nasal/intravenous × 100) was 101% for naloxone and 95% for buprenorphine. The intraduodenal bioavailability for naloxone was only 1.5% of the intravenous bioavailability. These studies showed that the nasal route for the administration of these two drugs can be considered as effective as the parenteral route.
Ocular Axial Length and Choroidal Thickness in Newly Hatched Chicks and One-year-old Chickens Fluctuate in a Diurnal Pattern that is Influenced by Visual Experience and Intraocular Pressure Changes

Low coherence laser Doppler interferometry (LDI) allows high precision measurements of the axial length of the eye and of the thickness of the individual layers of the ocular fundus. Here, we used LDI to monitor diurnal changes in these dimensions in eyes of newly hatched chicks and one-year-old chickens with normal or altered visual input. In chicks and chickens with normal visual experience, axial eye length displays diurnal fluctuations increasing during the light phase. Choroidal thickness also exhibits a diurnal pattern, shrinking during the day and expanding during the night. Retinal thickness does not vary. Based on the pressure compliance of the enucleated chick eye, the diurnal intraocular pressure (IOP) fluctuation could contribute both to the increase in axial length and to daytime choroidal shrinkage. Following deprivation of form vision by unilateral goggle wear, occluded chick eyes demonstrate enhanced axial elongation. Diurnal fluctuations in axial length but not in choroidal thickness are temporarily disrupted. The retina of form deprived eyes thins approximately 10% in five days. In contralateral eyes, the diurnal patterns of both axial length and choroidal thickness fluctuations are also disrupted. Following occluder removal in chicks, choroidal thickness increases for several days during both the light and dark phase, leading to its overall expansion. Retinal thickness returns to baseline. When deprived of form vision for five days, the eyes of year-old chickens do not exhibit measurable axial elongation. Diurnal patterns of fluctuation in axial length and choroidal thickness are however disrupted. After goggle removal, axial length fluctuation is restored to normal, but the diurnal choroidal thickness pattern is inverted. In contralateral eyes, choroidal thickness exhibits normal diurnal fluctuations both during and after form vision deprivation. In conclusion, axial length and choroidal thickness fluctuations are influenced by visual experience in both newborn chicks and one-year-old chickens. In selected instances a binocular interaction regarding axial length and choroidal thickness changes is suggested, the effect weakening with age.
Characterization Of Laser Blown Molydisilicide Links

The laser blowing of MoSi2/Poly-n + fuse links is reported. The polycide links were successfully blown under 10K A of PSG (phospho silicate glass used for isolation between the link and the aluminum) at laser power levels comparable to those used for standard poly link vaporization. Also, the size of the crater in the PSG, produced by the expanding gases associated with link vaporization, was found to be less than that for standard poly links. Laser power levels were found which gave both a near unity blowing probability and produced no substrate damage when the link was located on top of 7-10K A of field oxide. The successful blowing of silicide links is very important with respect to the use of both laser redundancy and silicides in VLSI technology.© (1983) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Inhibition of stress induced adrenal ascorbic acid depletion by morphine, dibenzyline and adrenal cortex extract.

STIMULATION of the pituitary-adrenal axis by a variety of stressing agents and procedures is a well known phenomenon (1). The mechanism (s) by which different types of stress induce this response remains unknown. The attempt to inhibit the pituitary-adrenal response to stress by various agents represents one approach to this problem. Often such experiments have been exceedingly difficult to interpret because of non-specific stressing effects of the intended blocking agents themselves. In some instances, however, “adapting” procedures (2) or the development of tolerance (3) have been used to circumvent the acute stressing effects. The present investigation is concerned with attempts to inhibit pituitary- adrenal stimulation in response to various stresses by Dibenzyline,1 morphine, and adrenal cortex extract. Under the conditions of these experiments these agents did not cause pituitary-adrenal stimulation.
Application of a rapid graphical method for the design of electrochromic devices

ABSTRACTRecently, Rauh and Cogan1 presented a model for the thermodynamic equilibrium optical and electricalproperties of electrochromic optical modulation devices. Such an empirically based, predictive model is veryuseful in the engineering design of practical electrochromic devices. The existing model, however, requiresconsiderable computation to model the effects of changes in important device parameters such as layer thicknesses and total mobile ion charge.We present a simple, graphical technique for evaluating the equilibrium electrochemical interaction of twoelectrochromic layers at any applied voltage based on independent, empirical, back-EMF measurements of the materials. Our technique allows extremely rapid evaluation of different candidate materials, layer thicknessesand total ion charges. We present the results of the model for a U-based electrochromic devices employing Wo and VO layers with an emphasis on design for low coloration voltage. 1. INTRODUCTIONElectrochromism in transition metal oxides and electrochromic (EC) devices has been extensively studiedsince their discovery in 1973.2 The fundamental mechanism of the change in optical properties of the ECmaterial, however, is still much debated.24 For device engineering, however, a simple phenomenologicalmodel suffices. The features of the EC material that are important for device design are that (1) small mobileions such as U fo a reversible, insertion phase compound, and (2) each ion inserted produces an opticalabsorption center in the visible region of the spectrum. The ion-storage material (IS) must sirnilary fomr a
SYNTHESES, STRUCTURES AND REDOX PROPERTIES OF TETRAKIS(μ‐BENZAMIDATO)DIRHODIUM(II) COMPLEXES

Abstract The reaction of Rh2(O2CCh3)4 with an excess of molten PhCONH2 gave Rh2(PhCONH)4(PhCONH2)2 (1) which contains a dirhodium unit having four bridging benzamidato anions and two axial, neutral benzamide ligands. The compound has been characterized by elemental analysis and infrared spectroscopic data. Reactions of (1) with SbPh3 and pyridine in CH2Cl2 (2) and Rh2(PhCONH)4(py)2 (3), respectively, The structures (2) and (3) were determined from single-crystal X-ray diffraction data. Compound (2) crystallizes in the triclinic space group P1 with half of the dinner and half of the CH2Cl2 molecule constituting the asymmetric unit. The cell dimensions for (2) are: a = 12.927(7) A, b = 13.661(5) A, c = 10.242(6) A α = 103.45(4)°, β = 99363(4)°, γ = 67.44(4)°, V = 1622(1) A3, and Z = 1. The molecule, which has a crystallographic center of inversion, consists of a dirhodium unit bridged by four benzamidato ligands. Each rhodium has one axial ligand, SbPh3. The RhRh distance is 2.463(1) A and the RhSb bond length is 2.681(1) A. The mean RhO and RhN distances are 2.029[4] A and 2.056[3] A, respectively. The RhRhSb angle is essentially linear having a value of 176.40(2)°. The compound (3) crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Pbca with the following unit cell dimensions: a = 16.395(2) A, b = 18.250(2) A, c = 11.754(1) A, α = β = γ = 90.0°, V = 3517(1) A3, and Z = 4. Half of the molecule has two pyridine ligands in the axial positions. The equatorial positions are occupied by four anionic benzamidato ligands as in (2). The RhRh distance is 2.437(1) A. The distance between the rhodium and the axial pyridine nitrogen atoms is 2.227(7) A and the angle RhRhN(3) is 175.5(2)°. The averages of the RhO and RhN bond lengths are 2.059[6] A and 2.050[7] A, respectively. Electron transfer behavior of (1) in different solvents and in the presence of strong neutral donor ligands has been investigated. The compound (1) in THF, DMF and CH3CN exhibits a prominent oxidation wave at E1/2 = 0.42 Λ (ΔEp = 100 m V), = 0.23 V (58 mV), and +0.36 V (65 mV), respectively. The pyridine, dithiane, PPh3 adducts of (1) in CH2Cl2 show the first oxidation at +0.39 V (60 m V), +0.48 V (90 mV), +0.46 V (65 mV) and +0.47 V (200 mV), respectively. The PPh3 adduct displays another quasireversible oxidation at +1.1 V (90 mV). In the THF, the pyridine and PPh3 adducts undergo oxidation at +0.35 V and +0.60 V, respectively. In DMF, the PPh3 adduct show oxidation at +0.50 V. In most of the cases, a second, less prominent oxidation wave was observed at slightly higher potential than the prominent oxidation peak. The electronic spectra of the pyridine, PPh3 and SbPh3 adducts show low energy absorption at 460 nm (shoulder), 445 nm (shoulder), and 508 nm (ϵ = 1520 M−1 cm−1, respectively. The electronic spectra of (1) studied in several polar solvents display bands in the range 440–563 nm.
Determinants of Second-Order Bile Duct Visualization at CT Cholangiography in Potential Living Liver Donors

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this article is to investigate the determinants of second-order bile duct visualization at CT cholangiography in living potential liver donors. MATERIALS AND METHODS. We retrospectively identified 143 potential living liver donors (83 men and 60 women; mean age, 37 years) evaluated with CT cholangiography, which included a slow infusion of iodipamide meglumine with CT acquisition 15 minutes after biliary contrast agent administration. Two readers independently scored the visualization of the second-order bile duct branches on a previously established 4-point scale (0 = not seen, 1 = faintly seen, 2 = well seen, and 3 = excellent visualization). Multivariate analysis was used to investigate the correlation between visualization scores and potential determinants of second-order bile duct opacification, specifically age, body mass index, creatinine level, total and direct bilirubin levels, alkaline phosphatase level, aspartate aminotransferase level, alanine aminotransferase level, ...
Photosynthetic performance of deep-water macroalgae (Phaeophyta, Dictyotales) off Bermuda

Photosynthetic performance and dark respiration rates were determined in situ for abundant macroalgae occurring between 27–49 m depths off Bermuda. Brown algae, particularly members of the order Dictyotales, predominated at all deep-water sites, and Stypopodium zonale was the most abundant species. Species showed net photosynthesis at very low ambient irradiances (<0.01 maximum Io). Lobophora variegata, a species with a highly decumbent growth form, had low productivity across all irradiances. In contrast, Dictyota spp. (D. bartayresii, D. dichotoma, D. divaricata) and S. zonale had high photosynthetic capacity (ca. 400 µmol O2 gdw−1 h−1), and light saturation was not evidenced at the highest ambient irradiance level (300 µE m−1 s−1) for species with thin, flat thalli. Light-harvesting pigment concentrations reflected tissue-nitrogen levels. C:N atom ratios, except for L. variegata and D. divaricata, were within the ratio for balanced growth. The repeated occurrence and photosynthetic efficiency of these Dictyotalean species in subtropical and tropical deep-water habitats emphasize their successful adaptation to low-light, nutrient-poor environments.
Physical Limitations for the Bandwidth Frequency of a Pressure Controlled, Axial-Piston Pump

The objectives of this paper are to identify the design parameters that have the greatest impact on the bandwidth frequency of a pressure controlled, axial-piston pump. This study is motivated by the fact that a physical limitation for these machines has been observed in practice, as it has been difficult to increase the bandwidth frequency much beyond 25 Hz. Though much research has been done over the past thirty years to understand the dynamical behavior of these machines, the essential design-characteristics that determine the bandwidth frequency of the pump remain elusive. In part, this is due to the fact that the machine is complex and when coupled with a hydraulic control valve that is disturbed by steady and transient fluid-momentum effects this dynamical property becomes difficult to assess. In order to achieve the objectives of this research, this paper presents the most comprehensive pump-and-valve model of a pressure controlled, axial-piston machine available in the literature to date. The pump model includes the effects of the discrete pumping-elements acting on the swash plate, while the valve model includes both steady and transient fluid-momentum forces. To identify the dominate features of the model, nondimensional analysis is employed and the complexity of the model is subsequently reduced by eliminating negligible terms. Furthermore, a closed-form expression for the bandwidth frequency is employed and perturbation analysis is used to identify the dominant set of parameters that impact the bandwidth frequency of the pump. In conclusion, it is shown that, by far, the greatest impact on the bandwidth frequency may be achieved by reducing the swept volume of the control actuator and by increasing the flow capacity of the control valve.
The impact of optimizing algebraic connectivity in hierarchical communication networks for transmission operations in smart grids

Most recently, algebraic connectivity has been used in the ongoing research effort that characterizes the robustness of networks to failures and attacks: the larger the algebraic connectivity, the more robust a network, and thus, the larger the number of links that must be removed to fragment the network. In this paper, we investigate the impact on the topology and traffic characteristics of the communication network that supports the transmission component of the smart grid, as links are added/rewired to maximally increase algebraic connectivity. Conventionally, the topology of the communication network tends to be identical to that of the power network. However, we first illustrate through a Demand Response (DR) application that a topology which may be ideal for the power network, may not necessarily be ideal for the communication network. Secondly, we demonstrate how concepts from graph theory can dramatically improve the performance characteristics of a communication network. Finally, we show that in certain cases, rewiring or adding links provide the same level of performance. Thus, network engineers at the initial stage of deploying communication infrastructure, can opt for either solution depending on financial constraints.
Intrinsic Size Effects in a Barium Titanate Glass-Ceramic

A series of glass ceramics have been synthesized to produce bulk materials with nanometer-sized barium titanate (Ba-TiO3) crystals grown in a residue glass matrix. Structure-property relations have been made to determine the size distribution and the dielectric temperature dependence of the ceramics. Through dielectric and density mixing laws, it has been inferred that depolarization fields limit the dielectric polarizability of the particles and influence the transition temperature. The transition temperature, dielectric anomaly broadening, and peak dielectric constant all scale systematically with the mean size of the BaTi03 crystals, which is consistent with an intrinsic size effect. In addition, scaling the transition temperature with the Ishikawa relation predicts a critical size of 17 nm, for which BaTiO 3 cannot support a ferroelectric transition. These results are discussed in relation to other size studies on ferroelectric materials.
Neurodegeneration the RNA way.

The expression, processing, transport and activities of both coding and non-coding RNAs play critical roles in normal neuronal function and differentiation. Over the past decade, these same pathways have come under scrutiny as potential contributors to neurodegenerative disease. Here we focus broadly on the roles of RNA and RNA processing in neurodegeneration. We first discuss a set of “RNAopathies”, where non-coding repeat expansions drive pathogenesis through a surprisingly diverse set of mechanisms. We next explore an emerging class of “RNA binding proteinopathies” where redistribution and aggregation of the RNA binding proteins TDP-43 or FUS contribute to a potentially broad range of neurodegenerative disorders. Lastly, we delve into the potential contributions of alterations in both short and long non-coding RNAs to neurodegenerative illness.
Competitive Advantage and the Independent Retail Pharmacy: The Role of Distinctive Competencies

ABSTRACTDriven by the rising use of third-party reimbursement programs, changing customer purchasing patterns, and increasing competition, independent retail pharmacists are searching for new ways to remain competitive. This paper reports the results of a study designed to illustrate the importance of cultivating distinctive competencies, generally considered the primary building blocks of a competitive advantage. The study's results suggest that independent retail pharmacists who develop a cohesive group of distinctive competencies enjoy better performance than those pharmacy retailers who develop no distinctive area of competency. The most intriguing finding, however, may be that firms competing in the retail pharmacy marketplace that focus on cultivating a broad range of distinctive competencies across many areas significantly outperform those firms that develop only one or a few competencies.
Thermal Behavior of Perfluoroalkylsiloxane Monolayers on the Oxidized Si(100) Surface

The thermal stability of perfluoralkylsiloxane monolayers in a vacuum is investigated via X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) for temperatures up to 600 degrees C. 1H,1H,2H,2H,-perfluorodecyltrichlorosilane (FDTS) monolayers are deposited on oxidized Si(100) surfaces from the vapor phase with various degrees of surface coverage. Significant monolayer desorption is observed to occur at temperatures below 300 degrees C regardless of the initial monolayer coverage. The desorption mechanism follows first-order kinetics and is independent of the initial coverage. Removal of FDTS is found to occur by the loss of the entire molecular chain, as evidenced by the fact that the CF(3)/CF(2) peak area ratios remain unaffected by the annealing process although CF(n)()/Si peak ratio declines with annealing. This is in sharp contrast to the behavior observed for octadecyltrichlorosilane monolayer for which elevated temperature leads to C-C bond breakage and successive shortening of the alkyl chain. It is also shown that the binding energy and the shape of the F 1s line are good indicators of the degree of disorder in the chain, as well as a measure of the interaction of the chain with the silicon surface.
Validation of impaired renal function chick model with uranyl nitrate.

Uranium is a highly toxic element when soluble salts are administered parenterally, whereas the index of toxicity is very low when ingested. In the salt form, uranium is one of the oldest substances used experimentally to induce mammalian renal failure. Renal damage occurs when uranium reacts chemically with the protein of columnar cells lining the tubular epithelium, leading to cellular injury and necrosis. Uranyl nitrate (UN) is the most common uranium salt utilized for nephrotoxic modeling. The development of an impaired renal function (IRF) chick model required a suitable nephrotoxic compound, such as UN, for validation, yet toxicity data for chickens were notably absent in the literature. The objective of the present study was to validate the IRF model with UN, based upon preliminary nephrotoxic dosages developed in this laboratory.
Extinction of the Shasta Ground Sloth

Detailed examination of fossil dung of the Shasta ground sloth ( Nothrotheriops ) from Rampart Cave, Arizona, revealed periodic occupation from more than 40,000 yr ago until about 11,000 yr ago. The sloths did not void in the cave during the height of the Wisconsin glaciation between 24,000 and 14,000 yr ago. Cuticle analysis of the dung verified earlier studies showing that the sloths were mainly browsers. Plants in their diet are still important in the local vegetation. Recent radiocarbon dates from various caves in the southwestern United States indicate that Nothrotheriops disappeared at or very soon after the arrival of big-game hunters.
Induction of cytosine-rich poly(A)+ RNAs in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii by cell wall removal

RNA accumulation in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii during the course of wall regeneration in protoplasts prepared by treatment of vegetative cells with autolysin was studied. In vitro translation of poly(A)+ RNA isolated from wall-regenerating cells indicated that cell wall removal induced the accumulation of several large RNA transcripts. Some of these induced RNAs were enriched following oligo(dG)-cellulose chromatography (referred to as cytosine-rich). The induced and cytosine-rich poly(A)+ RNAs potentially code for hydroxyproline-rich cell wall glycoproteins (HRGPs). Immunoprecipitation of in vitro translated products with an antiserum against a deglycosylated wall fraction (2BII) confirmed that these RNAs contained species involved in cell wall biosynthesis.
Some chemical and kinetic properties of oyster carbonic anhydrase.

Abstract 1. 1. Carbonic anhydrase (CA) exists in oyster serum as a large 26·6S aggregate (OCA-I) which may be reduced to 13·6S (OCA-II) by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. 2. 2. Gel filtration indicated mol. wt. ⋍ 500,000 for OCA-II, and Zn content was estimated as 1·7 μg/mg protein. An undetermined amount of carbohydrate was present. 3. 3. The specific activity was lower than that of other known CA's, but several other kinetic parameters were similar, including the presence of esterase activity. 4. 4. Several physical, chemical and kinetic properties of oyster CA have been compared to CA of other species (see Table 3). 5. 5. Of the total non-dialyzable zinc in oysters, 60 per cent can be accounted for as OCA-II.
Business Performance Management: One Truth

Abstract The creation and execution of sound business strategy is essential to today's enterprise. Business Performance Management (BPM) offers organizations an IT-enabled approach to formulate, modify, and execute strategy effectively. This article describes Business Performance Management, presents a framework for BPM, and discusses the potential drivers, barriers, and critical success factors for a BPM implementation.
Assessing Potential for Modal Substitution from Statewide Freight Commodity Flow Data

Kentucky, despite its relatively small area, has an extensive multimodal freight transportation network. Presented are findings of the statewide freight commodity flow analysis that relate to one of the multimodal transportation planning issues currently facing Kentucky—the relative role of various modes in freight transport and the potential for modal substitution. Issues affecting the type of data required for statewide freight planning studies also are discussed. Statewide issues, such as modal substitution questions, require freight commodity data by origin, destination, and mode. The aggregation of data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics or other publicly available data was considered unfeasible and the study team was referred to Reebie Associates for detailed freight commodity flow information. The Reebie freight commodity flow data were analyzed by mode, commodity, and spatial zone within Kentucky to determine where the potential for modal substitution was greatest. Three areas of the sta...
Antinociception and sedation following intracerebroventricular administration of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol in female vs. male rats

Systemically administered cannabinoids produce greater antinociceptive and sedative effects in female compared to male rats. Sex differences in the brain endocannabinoid system have also been reported. The aim of this study was to determine whether sex differences in antinociceptive and motoric effects of a cannabinoid can be attributed to supraspinal mechanisms. Vehicle or Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, 100 μg) was administered i.c.v., and behavioral effects were compared between gonadally intact male and female rats, and among females in different estrous stages (early proestrus, late proestrus, estrus and diestrus). Antinociception on the tail withdrawal and paw pressure tests after i.c.v. THC was slightly but not significantly greater in females (pooled across estrous stages) compared to males. THC suppressed locomotor activity similarly in all groups, with the exception that only males showed hyperlocomotion at 4 h post-injection. When females in the four estrous stages were compared, females in late proestrus showed significantly greater THC-induced antinociception than females in estrus (and males). These results suggest that supraspinal mechanisms may contribute to greater systemic THC effects in females compared to males, and to estrous stage-dependent differences in THC effects among females.
The Geographic Concentration of Enterprise in Developing Countries

A nation’s economic geography can have an enormous impact on its development. In Thailand, we show that a high concentration of enterprise in an area predicts high subsequent growth in and around that area. We also find spatially contiguous convergence of enterprise with stagnant areas left behind. Exogenous physiographic conditions are correlated with enterprise location and growth. We fit a structural, micro-founded model of occupation transitions with fine-tuned geographic capabilities to village data and replicate these salient facts. Key elements of the model include costs, credit constraints on occupation choice, and spatially varying expansion of financial service providers.
Lead dioxide coated hollow glass microspheres as conductive additives for lead acid batteries

The major reason for the inability of a lead acid battery to achieve higher specific free energy values is that much of the active material in both the positive and the negative electrode is not discharged. Using conductive additives, such as lead dioxide-coated hollow glass microspheres, in the electrodes would improve the utilization of active material and could significantly increase the specific energy of the lead acid batteries. In this paper, we present a method for making hollow glass microspheres conductive by coating them with lead dioxide via the electroless deposition technique.
Mechanistic components of normal hand tremor.

Abstract Hand tremor, the extensor digitorum communis electromyogram (EMG), and the electrocardiogram (EEG) were simultaneously recorded from six healthy adult volunteers. The single 7–12 c/sec peak in the hand tremor autospectrum was shown to consist of 3 components. The first and largest component decreased in frequency with mass loading of the hand and thus behaved as a mechanical system of mass, compliance and viscosity. This component exhibited no convincing or consistent statistical correlation with the extensor digitorum EMG except when the tremor amplitude was unusually large, as during prolonged extension of the hand. In contrast, the second hand tremor component did not decrease in frequency with mass loading but was strongly correlated with an 8–12 c/sec amplitude modulation in the EMG. This amplitude modulation is known to be produced by synchronous 8–12 c/sec activities in neighboring extensor digitorum motor units. The third component was produced by cardioballistics but comprised only 10% or less of the total tremor signal in five of our six subjects. In contrast to hand tremor, the 8–12 c/sec component of finger tremor is a single phenomenon produced by the synchronous 8–12 c/sec motor unit activity of the extensor digitorum. However, when finger tremor was recorded without precluding wrist movement, the 8–12 c/sec finger tremor was heavily contaminated with the mechanical component of hand tremor. We suggest that such contamination has been the cause of much of the conflicting data in the tremor literature.
Reversal of the regioselectivity of the birch reduction of xylenes

Abstract The “Photo-Birch” reduction of o-, m-, and p-xylene, using NaBH 4 , 1,3-dicyanobenzene, and photolysis, gives 1,4-dienes as products. The regioselectivity of these reactions is greatly different from the normal Birch reduction.
Inhibitory effects of (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate and pterostilbene on pancreatic cancer growth in vitro

Abstract Background It has been previously shown that the naturally occurring antioxidant (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), found in green tea, and pterostilbene, a stilbenoid derived from blueberries, inhibit pancreatic cancer in vitro when used individually. We hypothesized that the combination of EGCG and pterostilbene would reveal additive effects in vitro. Methods Using the pancreatic cancer cell lines MIA PaCa-2 and PANC-1, efficacy and synergism were evaluated for cell proliferation and viability (3-(4,5-dimethyltiazol-2-y1)-2,5-diphenltetrazolium bromide assays, cell cycle analysis) and mitochondrial apoptosis (mitochondrial depolarization, cytochrome C release, caspase-3/7 activity, cell death detection using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay). Results Cell proliferation assays revealed significant additive antiproliferative effects with pterostilbene and EGCG in both cell lines at the later, 72-h, point (P Conclusions Our results are encouraging regarding the future use of EGCG and pterostilbene to improve traditional pancreatic cancer therapies. In conclusion, EGCG and pterostilbene have additive, antiproliferative effects in vitro and alter the apoptotic mechanisms in both cell lines by modulation at different points in the mechanism.
High-dimensional generation of Bernoulli random vectors

The objective of this paper is to explore different modeling strategies to generate high-dimensional Bernoulli vectors. We discuss the multivariate Bernoulli (MB) distribution, probe its properties and examine three models for generating random vectors. A latent multivariate normal model whose bivariate distributions are approximated with Plackett distributions with univariate normal distributions is presented. A conditional mean model is examined where the conditional probability of success depends on previous history of successes. A mixture of beta distributions is also presented that expresses the probability of the MB vector as a product of correlated binary random variables. Each method has a domain of effectiveness. The latent model offers unpatterned correlation structures while the conditional mean and the mixture model provide computational feasibility for high-dimensional generation of MB vectors.