cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Likelihood functions and some maximum likelihood estimators for symbolic data

Likelihood functions are the foundation of many statistical methodologies in classical data analysis. Likelihood functions for symbolic data must be introduced before these classical methods can be extended to the analysis of symbolic data. In this paper, we propose the likelihood function for symbolic data and illustrate its applications by finding the maximum likelihood estimators for the mean and the variance of three common types of symbolic-valued random variables: interval-valued, histogram-valued and triangular-distribution-valued variables.
Regeneration of Zinc Titanate H2S Sorbents

Zinc titanate is one of the leading regenerable sorbent candidates for high-temperature hydrogen sulfide (H2S) removal from coal gasifier gas. Temperatures in excess of 625 °C are required for regeneration of sulfided zinc titanate using air. However, hot-gas desulfurization processes require initiation of regeneration at temperatures below 550 °C. Modified zinc titanate sorbents were prepared by coprecipitation with Cu, Ni, Co, Fe, and Mo at levels up to 10 wt % to reduce the regeneration temperature. The maximum reduction in regeneration temperature was achieved for a zinc titanate sorbent with 5 wt % Co and 5 wt % Ni, which could be regenerated at temperatures as low as 475 °C.
Concept map engineering: methods and tools based on the semantic relation approach

The purpose of this study is to develop a better understanding of technologies that use natural language as the basis for concept map construction. In particular, this study focuses on the semantic relation (SR) approach to drawing rich and authentic concept maps that reflect students’ internal representations of a problem situation. The following discussions are included: (a) elaborate classifications of concept map approaches that use natural language responses (e.g., student essay); (b) the SR process of eliciting concept maps, established using studies on domain ontology; and (c) a more effective way to identify key concepts and relations from a concept map generated by the SR approach. By comparing the SR approach to other promising concept map technologies that constrain the analytical process in various ways, this study suggests that the SR approach is likely to draw richer and more authentic concept maps. In addition, this study suggests that a certain combination of graph-related metrics be used to filter key concepts from a SR concept map drawn from a written text of 350–400 words. The methods suggested in the study could be used to design an automated assessment technology for complex problem solving and to develop adaptive learning systems.
Visual Physiology: Perceived Size Looms Large

Visual illusions tell us that size perception depends heavily upon complex contextual cues, often thought to be extracted by brain areas high in the visual hierarchy. Now, a new study shows that perceived size is reflected in activity as early as the primary visual cortex.
COMPENSATION AND PROFITS IN BRITISH NATIONALIZED INDUSTRIES

ALTHOUGH IN MANY RESPECTS British financial and legal institutions are similar to ours, there is no constitutional barrier to confiscation in that country. Parliament is supreme and British law confers only that compensation which is fixed by the statute authorizing expropriation of property for public use. However, there is a long British tradition for respecting private rights through compensation where the public interest requires the use of property. Consequently when the Labor Government of 1945-51 nationalized eight basic industries, all hints of confiscation were rejected and compensation was paid.1 Compensation posed many immediate problems for the government, however, and has created continuing problems for the nationalized industries, since the compensation awards have been transposed into capital structures of the newly created public corporations. This paper proposes to examine the principles of compensation which were employed in order to discover the resulting effects on the finances of the acquired industries.
Predicating the Good

e'Tt 8E'ZL 'r'C(MO' Ta':aov Z0 t5 XCYSO y Tac OT ot (t yaXp eV rTZ 7L )4yerrxt tOV 'o Os64 Xat o 0VOuq, XOCL EV TCO) 7QL&) OAL apSeat, xcat eV To 7rOaCO) ,Q rpLov, xOc eV TC 7tpo6 Tt 'r yp-yL.OV, >XCL EV CM(p6 ZX LpOq, Xw ?V T67m) aLaXLro xcdL 9repa rotcxao) What does Aristotle mean by the claim that good is said in as many senses as being, and how are we to understand the explanatory clause which follows? The usual reading of this passage takes Aristotle to be making one of two claims, depending upon whether the categories are viewed as classifying types of entity or types of predicate: (a) items in all categories have good predicated of them, or (b) good can be predicated in all the categories of predication. In either case, what follow are understood as subjects of exemplary predications. Thus "olov 4o Oek xac o voi5" is elliptical for "olov 6o Oe6 xoXt 4 voiu &yCXO6q ?arLIv," in which good is (a) predicated of a substance, God and intelligence, or (b) predicated in the first category of some entity, namely God and intelligence. (I am throughout understanding "God and intelligence" as a hendiadys). Similarly, "occ aiperot" is elliptical for "oML aperoL MyYOodL da[v,' in which good is (a) predicated of a quality, or (b) predicated in the category of quality of some entity, and so on. It is such a reading which is found in most translations of the passage in question. I quote here only two: Further, since 'good' has as many senses as 'being' (for it is predicated both in the category of substance, as of God and of reason, and in quality, i.e. of the virtues, and in quantity, i.e. of that which is moderate, and in relation, i.e. of the useful, and in time, i.e. of the right opportunity, and in place, i.e. of the right locality and the like), . . 1
Copulatory and Aggressive Behavior in the Prepuberally Castrated Dog

Abstract Prepuberal castration of male dogs did not significantly reduce mounting during development nor sexual responsiveness of the adult dog to the estrous female. Castrate males mounted frequently, vigorously, and with short latency as adults but never achieved a copulatory tie with the bitch. Aggressive behavior of castrate males was indistinguishable from that of intact males during development. In competition for estrous females, adult castrate males developed a dominance hierarchy amongst themselves as did intact males. The two groups also performed similarly in competition for bones.
Non-linear characteristics of a cracked rotor-journal bearing system

AbstractA model rotor-journal bearing system incorporating translational and rotational inertia, bending stiffness, gyroscopic moment, shear deformation, and disc imbalance is developed for investigating the various rotor-dynamic instabilities induced by the simultaneous exertion of crack breathing and bearing fluid film forces. Rich and complex non-linear behaviours displayed at different rotor speeds, relative flexibility (embodying the extent of surface crack development), and film clearances are studied employing the fundamental concept of instantaneous frequency. Acquired results show that the model system responds differently to two sources of non-linearity than to only one. The presence of surface fatigue cracks generates various prominent effects at low speeds and dominates non-linear instability response at high speeds. In addition, smaller bearing clearances are seen not only to induce smaller rotor vibration amplitude subject to cracking opening but also to bring about more bifurcations.
Lightweight collaborative activity patterns in project management

People working with ad-hoc collaboration tools suffer from information overload and information scatter. Our five-month study of project managers found their work comprised of fragmented activities scattering in task, people and application. However, these loosely coupled collaborative activities were implicitly organized by hierarchical activity threads through intrusion and digression, and geared into work breakdown structure (WBS) in high level. Our investigation gives implications on making people's work manageable as well as flexible, by integrating lightweight collaborative activities with centralized processes.
CsrA Participates in a PNPase Autoregulatory Mechanism by Selectively Repressing Translation of pnp Transcripts That Have Been Previously Processed by RNase III and PNPase.

ABSTRACT Csr is a conserved global regulatory system that represses or activates gene expression posttranscriptionally. CsrA of Escherichia coli is a homodimeric RNA binding protein that regulates transcription elongation, translation initiation, and mRNA stability by binding to the 5′ untranslated leader or initial coding sequence of target transcripts. pnp mRNA, encoding the 3′ to 5′ exoribonuclease polynucleotide phosphorylase (PNPase), was previously identified as a CsrA target by transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq). Previous studies also showed that RNase III and PNPase participate in a pnp autoregulatory mechanism in which RNase III cleavage of the untranslated leader, followed by PNPase degradation of the resulting 5′ fragment, leads to pnp repression by an undefined translational repression mechanism. Here we demonstrate that CsrA binds to two sites in pnp leader RNA but only after the transcript is fully processed by RNase III and PNPase. In the absence of processing, both of the binding sites are sequestered in an RNA secondary structure, which prevents CsrA binding. The CsrA dimer bridges the upstream high-affinity site to the downstream site that overlaps the pnp Shine-Dalgarno sequence such that bound CsrA causes strong repression of pnp translation. CsrA-mediated translational repression also leads to a small increase in the pnp mRNA decay rate. Although CsrA has been shown to regulate translation and mRNA stability of numerous genes in a variety of organisms, this is the first example in which prior mRNA processing is required for CsrA-mediated regulation. IMPORTANCE CsrA protein represses translation of numerous mRNA targets, typically by binding to multiple sites in the untranslated leader region preceding the coding sequence. We found that CsrA represses translation of pnp by binding to two sites in the pnp leader transcript but only after it is processed by RNase III and PNPase. Processing by these two ribonucleases alters the mRNA secondary structure such that it becomes accessible to the ribosome for translation as well as to CsrA. As one of the CsrA binding sites overlaps the pnp ribosome binding site, bound CsrA prevents ribosome binding. This is the first example in which regulation by CsrA requires prior mRNA processing and should link pnp expression to conditions affecting CsrA activity.
Space and time bounds on indexing 3D models from 2D images

Model-based visual recognition systems often match groups of image features to groups of model features to form initial hypotheses, which are then verified. In order to accelerate recognition considerably, the model groups can be arranged in an index space (hashed) offline such that feasible matches are found by indexing into this space. For the case of 2D images and 3D models consisting of point features, bounds on the space required for indexing and on the speedup that such indexing can achieve are demonstrated. It is proved that, even in the absence of image error, each model must be represented by a 2D surface in the index space. This places an unexpected lower bound on the space required to implement indexing and proves that no quantity is invariant for all projections of a model into the image. Theoretical bounds on the speedup achieved by indexing in the presence of image error are also determined, and an implementation of indexing for measuring this speedup empirically is presented. It is found that indexing can produce only a minimal speedup on its own. However, when accompanied by a grouping operation, indexing can provide significant speedups that grow exponentially with the number of features in the groups. >
A variance component based multi-marker association test using family and unrelated data

Incorporating family data in genetic association studies has become increasingly appreciated, especially for its potential value in testing rare variants. We introduce here a variance-component based association test that can test multiple common or rare variants jointly using both family and unrelated samples. The proposed approach implemented in our R package aggregates or collapses the information across a region based on genetic similarity instead of genotype scores, which avoids the power loss when the effects are in different directions or have different association strengths. The method is also able to effectively leverage the LD information in a region and it can produce a test statistic with an adaptively estimated number of degrees of freedom. Our method can readily allow for the adjustment of non-genetic contributions to the familial similarity, as well as multiple covariates. We demonstrate through simulations that the proposed method achieves good performance in terms of Type I error control and statistical power. The method is implemented in the R package “fassoc”, which provides a useful tool for data analysis and exploration.
Reliability and design qualification of a sub-micron tungsten silicide E-Fuse

Sub micron CMOS features are attractive for Polysilicon Electrical Fuse (E-Fuse) repair options in VLSI designs. E-Fuse implementations as contrasted to laser fuses provide large density advantages over laser fusing and allows for the repair of packaged die, thus providing substantial final yield benefits. Laser fusing typically requires keep out design rules such that fuse neighbors are not unintentionally programmed from a misaligned laser source. Additionally laser fuses typically require a protective cavity to act as a programming debris reservoir. These reasons as well as improving upon the fuse repair solutions required to manage reliability and yield of large die [1] are the major driving forces for providing E-Fuse solutions. In this paper we describe a case study to optimize E-Fuse long term reliability. The methodology employed is for a Tungsten Silicide E-Fuse (WSi/sub 2/), but the intention of this paper is to benchmark a qualification plan that can be employed for any E-Fuse, i.e. polysilicon, metal, or anti-fuse qualification.
Cross-sectional profiles of sand ripples, megaripples, and dunes: a method for discriminating between formational mechanisms

Cross-sectional profiles of sand ripples, megaripples, and sand dunes provide a useful tool for discriminating between formation by ripple and dune processes. Feature width, defined as the basal break in slope along the profile to either side of the crest, represents a good standard for comparison of profile attributes across more than three orders of magnitude. Aspect ratio (height/width) as a function of log width separates measurements into clusters representing differing mechanisms of formation. Scaling both height and distance for individual profiles by feature width facilitates comparison of profile shapes across three orders of magnitude in width. The data presented here should prove useful for evaluating possible mechanisms of origin for aeolian features observed remotely, including on planetary bodies. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An examination of five preferred orientation functions

Abstract Five functions for describing the preferred orientation of graphite-like materials were examined. Their relative behavior for various degrees of orientation were compared, particularly with respect to the ease of discriminating among them experimentally. The results obtained when data were fitted by a non-linear least squares method were used for a practical comparison. It was found that a constant term is required to allow for base line effects and some unoriented material. For careful evaluation of functions it is necessary to assume that the angle for maximum X-ray reflection intensity was set with some error. Among the five functions compared, the Bragg function fitted the comparison data best. However, if zero slope is required 90° away from the reference axis, this function is ineligible. In that case the Bacon and Ergun functions were equally good. Systematic trends in some of the data were related to sample preparation. The standard deviation for measuring the orientation parameter by fitting a function in this manner was from 0.4 to 3%.
Attendance Policies and Student Grades

The details described in this case study examine the issues related to attendance policies and how such policies might be legally used to affect student grades. Concepts discussed should cause grad...
The Environmental Limits to Globalization

Abstract: Criticisms of globalization have been largely based on its socioeconomic effects, but the environmental impacts of globalization are equally important. These include acceleration of climate change; drawdown of global stocks of cheap energy; substantial increases in air, water, and soil pollution; decreases in biodiversity, including a massive loss of crop and livestock varieties; depletion of ocean fisheries; and a significant increase in invasions of exotic species, including plant, animal, and human pathogens. Because of negative feedback from these changes, the future of globalization itself is bleak. The environmental and social problems inherent in globalization are completely interrelated—any attempt to treat them as separate entities is unlikely to succeed in easing the transition to a postglobalized world.
The Phaselis Decree

The Phaselis decree ( IG I. 16+ = Meiggs—Lewis, No. 31 = IG I. 10) is our chief piece of evidence for the manner in which the Athenians regulated civil-suits arising between themselves and the allies in the mid-fifth century. It reads as follows:
Chicken Y-box proteins chk-YB-1b and chk-YB-2 repress translation by sequence-specific interaction with single-stranded RNA

Y-Box proteins comprise a large family of multifunctional proteins with a wide spectrum of activities in both transcription and translational regulation of gene expression. Earlier, we have reported on the involvement of chk-YB-2 in transcriptional regulation of Rous sarcoma virus long terminal repeats and the involvement of chk-YB-1b in transcriptional regulation of alpha1(I) collagen genes. Here, we have investigated the potential role of chk-YB-2 and chk-YB-1b in RNA metabolism. We report that chk-YB-2 and chk-YB-1b are localized predominantly in the cytoplasm and that they both can bind single-stranded RNA in a sequence-specific and reversible manner. Well-conserved cold-shock domain, N-terminal proline-rich domain and the alternating clusters of acidic and basic amino acids located in the C-terminal ends of these two proteins were all found to be necessary for their RNA-binding ability. Further, we demonstrate that these two proteins inhibit translation in vitro and that binding to RNA is required for this inhibition. The significance of these results is discussed.
Women's Political Parties in Europe

In representative democracies, political parties organize the public will, giving expression to political differences in society (see Katz and Mair 1995; Klingemann, Hofferbert, and Budge 1994; Sartori 1967). Parties can also deepen democracy by broadening the connections between representatives and constituents, helping to hold political institutions accountable and increasing the participation of previously marginalized groups (see Costain 2005; Kitschelt 1993; Shugart 1994; Kittilson and Tate 2005; Young 2000).
Cell surface binding proteins for the major envelope glycoprotein of murine leukemia virus.

SummaryThe 71,000 Mr major envelope glycoprotein (gp71) of Rauscher murine leukemia virus has been shown to bind to susceptible cells in vitro. [3H]Leucine surface polypeptides bound to 125I-labeled gp71 were stripped from BALB/c thymocytes with nonionic detergent and chemically linked with the cleavable bifunctional reagent methyl 4-mercaptobutyrimidate. Soluble disulfide-linked 125I-labeled gp71 bound thymocyte surface polypeptide oligomers were precipitated with adsorbed gp71 antisera and after reductive cleavage, molecular weights (SDS-PAGE) of approximately 23,000, 32,000, 45,000, 65,000, 90,000, and 170,000 Mr were seen. Experiments demonstrating the cross-linked-dependent immunoprecipitation of 125I-labeled gp71 - thymocyte surface polypeptide oligomers with antiserum having reactivity to products of the major histocompatibility locus (H-2d and la) and also for the gag gene products (p30 and p15) are described. The involvement of these thymocyte surface polypeptides in structuring the functional re...
The experimental production of lead gangrene in guinea pigs

Kazda1 has reported three clinical cases of gangrene of the feet in relatively young typesetters. These he believes to be the first clinical observations of lead gangrene. Similar experimental results have been obtained by us in guinea pigs which have received large amounts of white lead by mouth. In this animal there can be produced a dry gangrene of the ears. The extreme margin of the pinna becomes slightly shrunken with a hyperemic zone proximal to the border. The margin to a varying depth becomes necrotic, drys down and is finally cast off, leaving an irregular margin which is somewhat thickened. The condition is usually bilaterally symmetrical. This result has been obtained only in those animals which have received an unusually large amount of lead, such as is made possible by the method described in the preceding communication. That it has not been observed hitherto is apparently due to the fact that it has been impossible to administer a sufficient amount of lead without killing the animal through ...
Study of Oxetane Toughened Cationic UV Curable Marine Fouling Release Coating

To develop a cationic UV curable, tough fouling-release coating for marine vessels, a difunctional oxetane monomer was used to copolymerize with the epoxy-siloxane oligomer at loading levels from 10to 40wt.. The resulting coatings showed enhanced solvent resistance, impact resistance and modulus, while remained hydrophobic before and after immersion in artificial sea water. In marine microorganism bioassay, these oxetane toughened coatings showed no leachate toxicity and the coating surfaces were non-toxic to biofilm growth. The fouling removal performance for these coatings was found to be microorganism dependent. Live barnacle reattachment assay showed that the toughened coatings had a removal force comparable to the reference silicone coatings Dow Corning T2 and 3140.
Row Covers Effect on Sweetpotato Whitefly (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) Densities, Incidence of Silverleaf, and Crop Yield in Zucchini

The use of polyethylene row covers is an effective method to reduce whitefly, Bemisia tabaci Gennadius, and aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover, densities and the incidence of squash silverleaf in zucchini. Mean densities of whiteflies and aphids were significantly lower in row-cover treated plots than in untreated plots. Under conditions of low silverleaf incidence ( 50% of plants with symptoms), there was a significantly higher total marketable yield per plant in row-cover treated plots than in pesticide-treated or untreated plots. In addition, increased yields were correlated with lower ratings of silverleaf severity and lower proportions of plants with silverleaf.
Abstract LB-93: The epigenetic basis of the tumorigenic action of retinoic acid

Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC Preformed vitamin A, or Retinol, is found in animal foods, such as liver and whole milk, and in some fortified food products. Carotenoids, such as beta-carotene from fruit and vegetables, are also efficiently converted into Retinol. Retinol, once converted into its bioactive form, retinoic acid (RA), plays a major role in cell division, cell death, and cell differentiation. We found that RA can exert a double-edged action: it can either inhibit, or promote, tumorigenesis according to the functional status of one of its receptors, the RA receptor alpha (RARA). Further, we found that RA, through RARA, controls a network of tumor suppressor genes governing cell death, cell proliferation, cell differentiation, migration, and invasion. Finally, we observed that concomitant with epigenetic silencing of the tumor suppressor gene network, due to loss/functional inhibition of RARA, RA exerts a clear tumor-promoting action, raising the question as to whether dietary sources of RA, or RA precursors, can also promote tumorigenesis in cells with an impaired RARA. Using an isogenic breast cancer cell model (T47D), comprising two clonal cell lines, one with a functional RARA-regulated gene network (T47DLXC5) and one without functional RARA (T47DDNC8) (Ren et al., MCB, 2006), we generated subcutaneous xenograft tumors in athymic female nude mice. A 6-week diet with either RA (5 or 10 mg/kg) or Retinol (50 mg/kg) induced an opposite effect on xenograft tumor growth. T47DDNC8 xenograft tumors were stimulated to grow and metastasize to distant sites by RA/Retinol, while T47DLXC5 xenograft tumors were growth-inhibited by RA/Retinol, and did not invade. In breast cancer RARA function is often impaired due to a variety of upstream causes, including faulty RA transport by CRABP2 onto RARA and/or loss of Estrogen Receptor alpha (ERA), a pivotal RARA transcriptional regulator. Early detection of epigenetic silencing of tumor suppressor genes of the RARA network can be used to prevent tumorigenic effects of dietary sources of RA on breast tumorigenesis. This work was funded by R01 [CA127614][1] (NS), PRIN 2007 (LT, SR). Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-93. [1]: /lookup/external-ref?link_type=GEN&access_num=CA127614&atom=%2Fcanres%2F70%2F8_Supplement%2FLB-93.atom
Do inflammatory bowel disease therapies cause cancer

Immunomodulators and biological agents are effective for the treatment of ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease; however, there is concern that these therapies may be associated with an increased risk of malignancy. MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were searched for articles regarding these medications and their associations with hematologic malignancies and solid tumors in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) and transplant, rheumatology, dermatology, and neurology patient populations. There is evidence that use of thiopurines and anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) agents is associated with an increased risk of lymphoma, particularly non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in patients with IBD. Hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma, although rare, also occurs with increased frequency in patients treated with thiopurines and anti-TNF medications, and young male patients with Crohn's disease appear to be at greatest risk. Furthermore, thiopurines and anti-TNF agents are associated with elevated rates of nonmelanoma skin cancer in non-IBD and IBD patients, and anti-TNF agents may also increase the risk of melanoma. Rates of abnormal cervical cytology may be elevated by the use of immunosuppressive agents in female patients with IBD. There is little evidence that exposure to the therapeutic agents prescribed for IBD increases the risk of any other solid tumors or hematologic malignancies in non-IBD or IBD patients. Although the use of immunomodulators and anti-TNF agents can promote certain types of lymphoma and skin cancer, patients and clinicians should be aware that the absolute rates of these malignancies remain low, and these risks should be weighed carefully against the substantial benefits offered by these therapies.
Application of theorem of nested interval in proving mean value theorems

Theorem of nested interval is one of the completeness theorems of real number,it is important in real analysis.This paper gives a corollary of theorem of nested interval and four lemmas.On the basis of these theories,Rolle mean value theorem,Lagrange mean value theorem and Cauchy mean value theorem are proved by constructing nested interval.
Toward elastic memory management for cloud data analytics

We present several key elements towards elastic memory management in modern big data systems. The goal of our approach is to avoid out-of-memory failures without over-provisioning but also to avoid garbage-collection overheads when possible.
Renzi: the government, the party, the future of Italian politics

AbstractOn 22 February 2014 President Napolitano appointed Matteo Renzi to the office of President of the Council of Ministers (the correct title according to the Italian constitution). Since then the 39-year-old secretary of the Democratic Party has launched a series of institutional, economic, and social reforms. Claiming that it was of the utmost importance to scrap the old political class and to put Italy back to work, Renzi has already produced significant but, to say the least, controversial changes, as well as many clashes within his party and in the relationship between Italy and the European Union. This article will explore where the changes in his style of governing and in his party will lead the politics of Italy.
Acid Catalyzed Competitive Esterification and Ketalization of Levulinic Acid with 1,2 and 1,3-Diols: The Effect of Heterogeneous and Homogeneous Catalysts

Condensation reactions of levulinic acid (LA) with 1,2-ethanediol (1,2-ED), 1,2-propanediol (1,2-PD), and 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PD) were studied using Amberlyst-15 as well as p-toluenesulfonic acid catalysts in benzene under Dean–Stark conditions. In Amberlyst-15 catalyzed reactions the products are ketals and ketal-esters, whereas p-toluenesulfonic acid catalyzed reactions produce esters and ketal-esters as products. In p-toluenesulfonic acid catalyzed reactions with 1,2-ED and 1,3-PD, LA monoester product is formed as the major product after 180 min in 75 and 97 % yields respectively. Unlike the previously reported acid catalyzed ketalization of ethyl levulinate with diols, combined ketalization–esterification of LA with diols is a complex process.
Drug Excretion into Human Milk: Answered and Unanswered Questions

In the United States, interest in and support of breast feeding grew greatly beginning in the early 1970’s. Knowledge of drug and chemical excretion at that time was quite limited. Most studies concerned single case reports with analyses of drugs done at random times after maternal administration. Considerable progress has been made since then, both in studies of groups of lactating women with more complete sampling periods and also in the use of more precise qualitative and quantitative instrumentation. This paper will discuss both results as well as unsolved problems of studies in humans.
Silver Sink Effect of Humic Acid on Bacterial Surface Colonization in the Presence of Silver Ions and Nanoparticles

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) released from consumer products may enter the environment and possibly harm microbial communities. Prior research showed that surface-adherent AgNPs inhibit bacterial surface colonization, a precursor to biofilm formation, only when planktonic bacterial inoculum concentrations are less than a threshold level (Wirth and co-workers, J. Colloid Interface Sci. 2016, 467, 17−27). This inoculum effect is due to a decrease in free silver ion concentration associated with sublethal binding to bacteria. Natural organic matter can be an additional silver sink in environmental systems. Using Pseudomonas fluorescens as a model biofilm-forming bacterium, we find significant increases in minimum bactericidal concentrations for AgNP suspensions and Ag+ in solution when adding humic acid (HA) to bacterial suspensions. When HA is present, planktonic bacteria survive and colonize AgNP-laden glass surfaces at lower bacterial inoculum concentrations than were needed for survival and colonization ...
Fault diagnosis method for DC-DC converters based on the inductor current emulator

This paper proposes a fault diagnosis and identification method for non-isolated dc-dc converters. The method can detect the fault and identify the faulty switch, and switch fault type, in less than one switching cycle. The main idea is to apply the derivative of the inductor current, based on the modulation of the particular dc-dc converter, to provide a predictive current emulator model. The measured inductor current and its corresponding predicted current are used to diagnose the switch fault. The method, implemented on a DSP, is robust to common converter asymmetry such as load variations, input disturbances, etc. The proposed fault diagnosis method has been analyzed, tested, and validated for a boost converter.
Comparison of Intended Lengthening of Magnetically Controlled Growing Rods: Ultrasound Versus X-Ray.

BACKGROUND In the treatment of early onset scoliosis (EOS), there has been a trend to use magnetically controlled growing rods (MCGR) in order to reduce the number of surgeries. To confirm the amount of lengthening, spine radiographs were required. Recently, ultrasound (US) has been added to monitor lengthening of MCGR to avoid radiation exposure. Our aim was to determine whether US is as accurate as plain radiography (x-ray) in determining the amount of length achieved at individual MCGR lengthening episodes. METHODS Retrospective study; inclusion criteria: EOS cases with dual MCGR with minimum 12 months follow-up. Intended lengthening IL (mm), lengthening on US (mm) and x-ray (mm) were documented from medical records for both right and left rods. Primary (no surgery before MCGR) and conversion (other types of instrumentation were replaced with MCGR) cases were reviewed separately. P-values determined with analysis of variance. RESULTS Sixteen cases with 100 lengthening episodes met the inclusion criteria. Eleven were primary MCGR cases with 67 episodes. Mean follow-up was 19±5 months. Significant differences were found between IL (3.4±1 mm), US (2.7±1.9 mm), and x-ray (4.1±2.2 mm) (P<0.001). The difference between IL and x-ray was minimal, but statistically significant (P=0.046). US showed statistically lower values than both IL (P=0.001) and x-ray (P<0.001). The mean ratio of x-ray/IL, US/IL, and US/x-ray were 1.1, 0.75, and 0.84, respectively. Five conversion cases had 33 episodes. Mean follow-up was 21±2 months. Significant differences were found between IL (3.4±0.8 mm), US (1.3±0.8 mm), and x-ray (1.7±0.9 mm) (P<0.001) but there was no significant difference between US and x-ray (P=0.283). IL was significantly higher than both US (P< 0.001) and x-ray (P<0.001). The mean ratio of x-ray/IL, US/IL, and US/x-ray were 0.64, 0.41, and 1.1, respectively. CONCLUSIONS US can provide confirmatory information of noninvasive lengthening of MCGR. However, US tended to underestimate the achieved length as measured by x-ray in primary cases. Conversion cases demonstrate better concordance between US and x-ray but in these cases less overall length was achieved at each lengthening episode. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level III.
Fine-grained distributed consistency guarantees with effect orchestration

Highly-available distributed applications typically require data to be replicated over geo-distributed stores that offer weak consistency guarantees by default. Unfortunately, undesirable behaviors may arise under weak consistency that can violate application correctness, forcing designers to either implement complex ad-hoc mechanisms to avoid these anomalies or by sacrificing performance, choose to run applications using stronger levels of consistency. In this paper, we describe a lightweight runtime system that relieves developers from having to make such tradeoffs. Instead, our approach leverages declarative axiomatic specifications that reflect the necessary constraints any correct implementation must satisfy to guide a runtime consistency enforcement and monitoring mechanism. Experimental results show that the performance of our (provably optimal and safe) automatically derived fine-grained consistency enforcement mechanisms is better than common store-offered consistency guarantees.
USE OF WOOD/PHASE CHANGE MATERIAL COMPOSITE IN THE BUILDING ENVELOPE FOR BUILDING THERMAL CONTROL AND ENERGY SAVINGS

This research investigates the bio-products/phase change material (PCM) composites for the building envelope application. Bio-products, such as wood and herb, are porous medium, which can be applied in the building envelope for thermal insulation purpose. PCM is infiltrated into the bio-product (porous medium) to form a composite material. The PCM can absorb/release large amount of latent heat of fusion from/to the building environment during the melting/solidification process. Hence, the PCM-based composite material in the building envelope can efficiently adjust the building interior temperature by utilizing the phase change process, which improves the thermal insulation, and therefore, reduces the load on the HVAC system. Paraffin wax was considered as the PCM in the current studies. The building energy savings were investigated by comparing the composite building envelope material with the conventional material in a unique Zero-Energy (ZOE) Research Lab building at University of North Texas (UNT) through building energy simulation programs (i.e., eQUEST and EnergyPlus). The exact climatic conditions of the local area (Denton, Texas) were used as the input values in the simulations. It was found that the EnergyPlus building simulation program was more suitable for the PCM based building envelope using the latent heat property. Therefore, based on the EnergyPlus simulations, when the conventional structure insulated panel (SIP) in the roof and wall structures were replaced by the herb panel or herb/PCM composite, it was found that around 16.0% of energy savings in heating load and 11.0% in cooling load were obtained by using PCM in the bio-product porous medium.
Nanocomposite (CuS)x(ZnS)1-x thin film back contact for CdTe solar cells: Toward a bifacial device

Abstract Critical avenues to increase energy yield for CdTe photovoltaic (PV) technology, such as bifacial cells or tandem cells designs, rely on the need to develop transparent back contact approaches that enable high efficiency and high transparency. We report the properties of earth-abundant p-type transparent conducting nanocomposite (NC) thin film (CuS)x(ZnS)1-x, deposited by low-cost chemical bath deposition method. Nanocomposite films of ~ 45 nm thickness transmit > 70% of the visible light and show compact grains of size ~ 10 nm. We investigate the photovoltaic performance of both opaque and semi-transparent CdTe solar cells using (CuS)x(ZnS)1-x NC thin films as a back contact interface layer. Introduction of the NC layer between the CdTe and a standard Cu/Au metallization process yielded the best device efficiency of 13%, representing a 3.2% relative improvement over the standard Cu/Au back contact. Semi-transparent CdTe devices finished with an indium tin oxide (ITO) layer allowed for comparison of front and back illumination schemes. Experimental and modeling results confirm that the bifacial device configuration leads to significant recombination losses under back illumination due to the absence of a charge separating field, a relatively high interface recombination rate, and an insufficient electron diffusion length. Once optimized, and with an improved interface and bulk CdTe carrier lifetimes, this NC earth-abundant transparent conductor based on Cu, Zn, and S may serve as an effective, inexpensive, low-toxicity back contact layer for a bifacial CdTe solar cell.
Awake microlaparoscopy with the Insuflow device.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Patients undergoing laparoscopy often complain of shoulder pain, shivering, or both following laparoscopy. An increase in awake microlaparoscopic procedures has been reported. The objective of this study was to investigate the usefulness of heating and humidifying the carbon dioxide gas for the pneumoperitoneum with the Insuflow device (Lexion Medical, St. Paul, Minnesota) during awake microlaparoscopic procedures. METHODS Awake microlaparoscopy was performed with the Insuflow device for heating and humidifying the carbon dioxide for the pneumoperitoneum. RESULTS The incidence of transient shoulder pain in the Insuflow group was 5% compared with 40% in the dry carbon dioxide group. No patient in the Insuflow group complained of shivering, whereas 55% in the control group had shivering. Fogging of the microlaparoscope lens was decreased in the Insuflow group. CONCLUSIONS Heating and humidifying the carbon dioxide gas produced fewer patient complaints of shoulder pain and shivering and decreased fogging of the microlaparoscope lens compared with procedures done with dry carbon dioxide during awake microlaparoscopic procedures.
Virtue and the Practice of Nursing

When, in the mid-nineteenth century, Florence Nightingale revolutionized nursing, practically all nurses were women and what counted as a good or virtuous woman reflected the values and ideals of Victorian England. Thus a question arises as to what extent Nightingale’s conception of a ‘good and intelligent nurse’ can be justified today when health care has been radically transformed by new knowledge and technology and our conception of a good or virtuous woman differs significantly from that which prevailed in her time.
Indoor location service in support of a smart manufacturing facility

Abstract Location awareness in manufacturing facilities has high potential to produce information according to the space in which is important. This work presents a system that finds the nearest machine to a user. The system runs in an Android app which is part of a mobile enterprise resource planning system. The indoor localization system collects the received signal strength indicators (RSSIs) from low-cost Bluetooth beacons installed in the machines. The RSSIs are sent to the cloud which hosts the values and returns the name of the nearest machine. This work uses the fingerprinting algorithm to map the location of each machine with a set of four RSSIs. The results show the nearest neighbor, weighted k-nearest neighbor and Bayesian inference techniques, the latter presenting the best accuracy. Using the Kalman filter on the RSSIs reduces variability, which increases the correct machine coincidences. The use of one Bluetooth beacon per machine, guessed the correct machine around 89% of the time.
Commissioning and First Results of the Fermilab Muon Campus

In the following years, the Fermilab Muon Campus will deliver highly polarized muon beams to the Muon $g\ensuremath{-}2$ experiment. The Muon Campus contains a target section wherein secondaries are produced, the delivery ring which separates the muons from the rest of the beam, and a sequence of beam lines that transports them to the Muon $g\ensuremath{-}2$ storage ring. Here, we report the first results of beam measurements at the Muon Campus with an emphasis on the key achievements that have contributed to the successful beam delivery to the Muon $g\ensuremath{-}2$ experiment. These achievements include the production of an intense secondary beam from the target, its transport over 2 km, the successful monitoring of muons from the available diagnostics, and the development of techniques for measuring the transverse optics. We also present detailed comparisons between the experimental data and simulation and discuss the similarities and differences observed.
SMARCB1-Deficient Sinonasal Carcinoma: A Case Report and Discussion of the Clinical Implications.

Objective:SMARCB1-deficient sinonasal tract carcinomas are an emerging subset of rare tumors recently described in the literature, with less than 100 reported cases. Given the aggressive nature of ...
Adapted Physical Education Pre-professional Preparation: Shifting the Paradigm

A shift in paradigm for pre-professional training as suggested in this paper focuses on the practica experience component. General Physical Education (GPE) has been recognized as a direct service; ...
Developmental Changes in EEG Phase Amplitude Coupling and Phase Preference over the First Three Years After Birth

Abstract The coupling of the phase of slower electrophysiological oscillations with the amplitude of faster oscillations, termed phase-amplitude coupling (PAC), is thought to facilitate dynamic connectivity in the brain. Though the brain undergoes dramatic changes in connectivity during the first few years of life, how PAC changes through this developmental period has not been studied. Here, we examined PAC through electroencephalography (EEG) data collected longitudinally during an awake, eyes-open EEG collection paradigm in 98 children between the ages of 3 months and 3 years. We implement a novel technique developed for capturing both PAC strength and phase preference (i.e., where in the slower oscillation waveform the faster oscillation shows increased amplitude) simultaneously, and employed non-parametric clustering methods to evaluate our metrics across a range of frequency pairs and electrode locations. We found that frontal and occipital PAC, primarily between the alpha-beta and gamma frequencies, increased from early infancy to early childhood (p = 1.35 x 10-5). Additionally, we found frontal gamma coupled with the trough of the alpha-beta waveform, while occipital gamma coupled with the peak of the alpha-beta waveform. This opposing trend may reflect each region’s specialization towards feedback or feedforward processing, respectively. Significance Statement The brain undergoes significant changes in functional connectivity during infancy and early childhood, enabling the emergence of higher-level cognition. Phase-amplitude coupling (PAC) is thought to support the functional connectivity of the brain. Here, we find PAC increases from 3 months to 3 years of age. We additionally report the frontal and occipital brain areas show opposing forms of PAC; this difference could facilitate each region’s tendency towards bottom-up or top-down processing.
Revisiting finite-scale Navier-Stokes theory: Order-of-magnitude results, new critical values, and connections to Stokesian fluids

Abstract We return to Ref. [7] and present, as well as note the implications stemming from, a rigorous order-of-magnitude-based derivation of the governing system considered therein. The system in question models the ‘piston problem’ for the case of a viscous, but thermally non-conducting, gas with constant transport coefficients under the generalization of the Navier–Stokes (NS) equations known as the finite-scale Navier–Stokes (FSNS) equations. Our analysis also provides a rigorous derivation of the FSNS system considered in Ref. [12] , highlights links between FSNS theory and Stokesian fluids, and examines the possible applicability of generalizations of the perfect gas law to finite-scale theory. We conclude with a brief discussion regarding new critical values of the averaging length scale.
The AdS 5 × S 5 superstring

The duality between the type IIB superstring theory in an AdS5S5 background with N units of five-form flux and N=4 super YangMills theory with a U(N) gauge group has been studied extensively. My ve...
The conundrum of parathyroidectomy vs cinacalcet for treatment of post-transplant hyperparathyroidism.

O hiperparatireoidismo persistente em pacientes transplantados renais tem sido associado a aumento da mortalidade, maior risco de perda de aloenxerto e maior risco de o paciente desenvolver fraturas e doencas osseas.1,2 O tratamento do hiperparatireoidismo persistente apos transplante renal permanece controverso para os especialistas em transplante. Existem opinioes divergentes quanto a se o cinacalcet ou a paratireoidectomia levam a melhores resultados para o paciente. Assim, o objetivo de qualquer tratamento seria nao apenas melhorar os resultados laboratoriais, mas tambem aprimorar ou [...]
Designer adhesion GPCR tells its signaling story.

The ADGRL3 receptor, a member of the adhesion G-protein-coupled receptor family, is implicated in many neurological diseases. Using a novel technique involving controlled proteolysis of the receptor’s extracellular domain, this study demonstrated that ADGRL3 signals via G12/13 G proteins.