cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Specific heats of lead and cadmium niobates at low temperatures

Specific-heat data (2-25 K) are reported on the ferroelectrics Pb${\mathrm{Nb}}_{2}$${\mathrm{O}}_{6}$ (orthorhombic), ${\mathrm{Cd}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Nb}}_{2}$${\mathrm{O}}_{7}$, and ${\mathrm{Cd}}_{1.6}$${\mathrm{Pb}}_{0.4}$${\mathrm{Nb}}_{2}$${\mathrm{O}}_{7}$, and on the nonferroelectrics Pb${\mathrm{Nb}}_{2}$${\mathrm{O}}_{6}$ (rhombohedral), ${\mathrm{Pb}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Nb}}_{2}$${\mathrm{O}}_{7}$, and Cd${\mathrm{Nb}}_{2}$${\mathrm{O}}_{6}$. All materials display maxima in $C{T}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$, and excellent fits to experimental data are obtained with a single Einstein term added to the Debye background. The Einstein frequencies vary from 9 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ for Pb${\mathrm{Nb}}_{2}$${\mathrm{O}}_{6}$ (rhombohedral) to 76 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ for Cd${\mathrm{Nb}}_{2}$${\mathrm{O}}_{6}$, and the Debye temperatures from 171 K for Pb${\mathrm{Nb}}_{2}$${\mathrm{O}}_{6}$ (rhombohedral) to 408 K for Cd${\mathrm{Nb}}_{2}$${\mathrm{O}}_{6}$. The ferroelectric form of Pb${\mathrm{Nb}}_{2}$${\mathrm{O}}_{6}$ varies dramatically from the nonferroelectric form: Einstein frequency, 37.6 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$, and Debye temperature 224 K. The 20-mole%-Pb substitution on the Cd site in ${\mathrm{Cd}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Nb}}_{2}$${\mathrm{O}}_{7}$ lowers both the Einstein frequency and Debye temperature: 53 to 43 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ and 393 to 315 K, respectively. For all materials except Cd${\mathrm{Nb}}_{2}$${\mathrm{O}}_{6}$, the Debye contribution is smaller than the Einstein contribution. Below 4 K, the ferroelectric niobates and Cd${\mathrm{Nb}}_{2}$${\mathrm{O}}_{6}$ have a Schottky contribution with an energy separation \ensuremath{\sim}50 mK (assumed two level). It is suggested that this term is due to the electric-quadrupole moment of Nb in an electric-field gradient. Published data on LiNb${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ and LiTa${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ support this interpretation.
Religion, senescence, and mental health: the end of life is not the end of hope

The authors review epidemiological and survey research relevant to the relationships between religiousness/spirituality and mental health in people at the end of life, with the end of helping psychiatrists, psychologists, and other mental health professionals dealing with older Americans. They give special attention to well-being, religious coping, cognitive dysfunction, anxiety, depression, and suicide, and consider the extent to which hope is a mediator of the purported salutary effects of religiousness. Studies were selected from the comprehensive and systematic review of 20th-century scientific literature concerning religion and health. Authors also review current studies relevant to religion and end-of-life issues. Religious persons reported generally higher levels of well-being. The review also found fairly consistent inverse associations of religiousness with rates of depression and suicide. There was some negative association between religious participation and cognitive dysfunction, but the association with anxiety was inconsistent, with some studies showing a correlation between higher levels of religion and anxiety. Religion's effects on mental health are generally protective in direction but modest in strength.
Brownian Intersections, Cover Times and Thick Points via Trees

There is a close connection between intersections of Brownian motion paths and percolation on trees. Recently, ideas from probability on trees were an important component of the multifractal analysis of Brownian occupation measure, in joint work with A. Dembo, J. Rosen and O. Zeitouni. As a consequence, we proved two conjectures about simple random walk in two dimensions: The first, due to Erdos and Taylor (1960), involves the number of visits to the most visited lattice site in the first n steps of the walk. The second, due to Aldous (1989), concerns the number of steps it takes a simple random walk to cover all points of the n by n lattice torus. The goal of the lecture is to relate how methods from probability on trees can be applied to random walks and Brownian motion in Euclidean space.
Power Budgeting Between Diversified Energy Sources and Loads Using a Multiple-Input Multiple-Output DC–DC Converter

A single-stage, multiple-input, multiple-output, dc-dc topology with independent input and output ports is proposed. The proposed converter can employ arbitrary number of energy sources and supply arbitrary number of loads. The ability of the converter to regulate the input powers, coming from different energy sources, in addition to regulating the output voltages stands out. A specific switching scheme is proposed and the dynamic model of the converter is developed based on the designated switching scheme. An appropriate control algorithm is presented, based on which the input powers and output voltages are simultaneously regulated. Various hardware measurements and numerical simulations are presented to verify the analytical model and demonstrate the converter's performance in both time and frequency domains.
Discussion of challenges encountered during the collection and submission of wipe/leak test samples

Collection and submission challenges are encountered during analysis of samples taken on devices containing radioactive materials. The sample analysis is for either gross alpha-counting by gas-flow proportional counting or low-level beta-counting by liquid scintillation counting. Technical manuals, safety and maintenance messages, provide established policies for the collection and submission of the samples. The analytical challenges range from incorrect sampling media to improper packaging and shipping of the samples. Since quality starts with sample collection and the samples are not being collected and/or submitted correctly, the counting laboratory may not be able to provide meaningful analytical results to the customer.
Detection of alcoholism relapse: comparative diagnostic value of MCV, GGTP, and AANB.

Mean red blood cell volume (MCV), plasma gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (GGTP), and plasma alpha amino-n-butyric acid (AANB) were measured in 245 patients undergoing treatment for alcoholism at the V.A. Medical Center, Bronx, N.Y. and Raleigh Hills Hospitals, Denver, Colo. AANB and GGTP, but not MCV, decreased following withdrawal from alcohol and during a period of abstinence. Among patients who relapsed, AANB and GGTP, but not MCV, increased in a majority of subjects. The combined use of AANB and GGTP identified 28/33 heavy drinkers, while 4/33 patients in remission had positive tests. In conclusion, measurement of AANB and GGTP are useful in documenting the success of treatment for alcoholism and in identifying patients who relapse following treatment for alcoholism.
Feebly Projectable Algebraic Frames and Multiplicative Filters of Ideals

In the article (Martinez and Zenk, Algebra Universalis, 50, 231–257, 2003.), the authors studied several conditions on an algebraic frame L. In particular, four properties called Reg(1), Reg(2), Reg(3), and Reg(4) were considered. There it was shown that Reg(3) is equivalent to the more familiar condition known as projectability. In this article we show that there is a nice property, which we call feebly projectable, that is between Reg(3) and Reg(4). In the main section of the article we apply our notions to the frame of multiplicative filters of ideals in a commutative ring with unit and give characterizations of several well-known classes of commutative rings.
Decision analysis applied to rock tunnel exploration

Abstract Exploration planning is a process of decision making under uncertainty. The decision if and where to explore depends on construction strategies and cost; the selection of construction strategies depends on knowledge of geologic conditions which are not known with certainty before exploration is performed. The proposed application of decision analysis provides a relatively simple approach to the tunnel exploration problem. The existing knowledge of geology, the possible construction strategies and their costs, the reliability and the cost of considered exploration methods are used to establish if and where exploration is beneficial. The resulting hierarchy of locations where exploration is beneficial and the comparison of expected values of exploration for different exploration methods provides the basis for the selection of a particular site and method. Graphical and simple numerical means have been created that make the proposed approach a convenient and fast tool in the hands of the decision maker.
Matrix Elasticity, Cytoskeletal Tension, and TGF-β: The Insoluble and Soluble Meet

Page 1 The link between the tension generated by a cell and its physical and soluble microenvironments has long been a conundrum. Referring to muscle and its secreted soluble products, it was hypothesized by Starr more than a century ago that “…the active shortening of the fibre is due to an increase in the surface tension of the substance of the cell, caused by an increase in the proportional amount of the products of decomposition. Equilibrium is restored—after the stimulus which hastened the chemical changes has ceased—by a part of the products of decomposition finding their way into
Sliding mode control of uncertain dynamical systems with time delay using the continuous time approximation method

A study of sliding mode control of uncertain dynamical systems with time delay is presented in this paper. The systems are assumed to have constant delay time and uncertain parameters with known up...
Ultrasonography and fine needle aspirate cytology of the mesenteric lymph node in normal domestic ferrets (Mustela putorius furo).

The large mesenteric lymph node of 28 normal ferrets was imaged with ultrasound. The large node, located in the mid-abdomen at the root of the mesentery, was round to ovoid and uniformly hyper-echoic. Mean ultrasonographic dimensions of the lymph node were 12.6 +/- 2.6 mm by 7.6 +/- 2.0 mm. Fine needle aspirates of 20 lymph nodes were obtained either using ultrasound guided free-hand techniques or at necropsy. The cytological descriptions were compared to histological descriptions of 13 lymph node core biopsies obtained during laparotomy or necropsy as well as 10 peripheral blood smear differentials. The large mesenteric lymph node of ferrets could be easily imaged and measured by ultrasound and evaluated by fine needle aspirate cytology. Normal lymph node cytology may include an eosinophilic infiltrate.
Quantifiers in Natural Languages: Some Logical Problems, I

Quantifiers are by common consent among the most important ingredients in the logical structure of both formalized and natural languages. As we all know, formalized quantifiers and their generalizations have been studied extensively by logicians. In contrast, relatively little close attention has been paid to the peculiarities of the logical behavior of quantifiers in natural languages, in spite of the fact that quantifiers have figured conspicuously in some of the most important recent methodological controversies in linguistics.1 It is the. purpose of this paper to help to change this situation by surveying some of the non-trivial logical phenomena that we find in examining natural-language quantifiers. In doing so, I am largely restricting my attention to the natural-language counterparts of logicians’ existential quantifier and universal quantifier, neglecting such ‘nonstandard’ quantifier words as ‘many’ and ‘most’. I shall cover in the survey a number earlier observations of mine which have already been partly published,2 but I shall also try to concentrate on certain new insights which serve to extend and to consolidate the old results.
A student-designed automotive collision avoidance system

A receiver-transmitter system at 99 MHz is energized by a shock activated switch to provide warnings of collision, emergency vehicles, or other road hazards. The system was designed and constructed as part of a senior design sequence. It was intended to be simple and reliable, and, when translated into modern integrated circuit technology, it can be installed at a low cost per vehicle. It provides advantages over radar braking in that it is practically feasible and much less expensive. It has advantages over other approaches in that it can be used in the daytime or at night and in any weather.
Noise pollution alters ecological services: enhanced pollination and disrupted seed dispersal

Noise pollution is a novel, widespread environmental force that has recently been shown to alter the behaviour and distribution of birds and other vertebrates, yet whether noise has cumulative, community-level consequences by changing critical ecological services is unknown. Herein, we examined the effects of noise pollution on pollination and seed dispersal and seedling establishment within a study system that isolated the effects of noise from confounding stimuli common to human-altered landscapes. Using observations, vegetation surveys and pollen transfer and seed removal experiments, we found that effects of noise pollution can reverberate through communities by disrupting or enhancing these ecological services. Specifically, noise pollution indirectly increased artificial flower pollination by hummingbirds, but altered the community of animals that prey upon and disperse Pinus edulis seeds, potentially explaining reduced P. edulis seedling recruitment in noisy areas. Despite evidence that some ecological services, such as pollination, may benefit indirectly owing to noise, declines in seedling recruitment for key-dominant species such as P. edulis may have dramatic long-term effects on ecosystem structure and diversity. Because the extent of noise pollution is growing, this study emphasizes that investigators should evaluate the ecological consequences of noise alongside other human-induced environmental changes that are reshaping human-altered landscapes worldwide.
The Effects of Legal and Extralegal Factors on Probation Revocation Decisions

Abstract: This study attempts to further the understanding of how legal and extra legal factors affect the decision of criminal justice professionals, specifically, adult probation officers. The findings show that while both legal and extra legal factors were significant in the decision to revoke probation and the length of the sentence, the factors were different for each decision.
Simulation of Heat Exchange in the Liquid Core of the Earth

Results of numerical simulation of the convective heat exchange between two concentric isothermal spheres with the use of different simulation criteria are presented. The influence of these criteria on the results of calculations of the structure of the liquid flow and the heat transfer in the space between the indicated spheres was investigated. Equations for simulation of the heat exchange between these spheres in the case where the gravitational acceleration in the layer formed by them is directed to its center were constructed. These equations were compared with equations for simulation of the heat transfer in an analogous spherical layer in which the gravitational acceleration is directed vertically down.
The multifaceted role of CD4 + T cells in CD8 + T cell memory

Following infection, T cells differentiate into a heterogeneous population of effector T cells that can mediate pathogen clearance. A subset of these effector T cells possesses the ability to survive long term and mature into memory T cells that can provide long-term immunity. Understanding the signals that regulate the development of memory T cells is crucial to efforts to design vaccines capable of eliciting T cell-based immunity. CD4(+) T cells are essential in the formation of protective memory CD8(+) T cells following infection or immunization. However, until recently, the mechanisms by which CD4(+) T cells act to support memory CD8(+) T cell development following infection were unclear. Here, we discuss recent studies that provide insight into the multifaceted role of CD4(+) T cells in the regulation of memory CD8(+) T cell differentiation.
Integrating Online Security into the Undergraduate Curriculum

The field of eLearning benefits from, but is also challenged by, rapidly changing technology and the online habits of students. As students become more active in online communities, they may encounter sub- stantial risks to their privacy, security, and ultimately to their futures. Institutions can also suffer tarnished images based on the online activities of students. Online security must be incorporated into the modern higher education curriculum to protect both students and institutions. By teaching online security across the curriculum, students can be protected and prepared for their professional lives.
Malignant Transformation in Glioma Steered by an Angiogenic Switch: Defining a Role for Bone Marrow-Derived Cells

Low-grade gliomas, such as pilocytic astrocytoma and subependymoma, are often characterized as benign tumors due to their relative circumscription radiologically and typically non-aggressive biologic behavior. In contrast, low-grades that are by their nature diffusely infiltrative, such as diffuse astrocytomas and oligodendrogliomas, have the potential to transform into malignant high-grade counterparts and, given sufficient time, invariably do so. These high-grade gliomas carry very poor prognoses and are largely incurable, warranting a closer look at what causes this adverse transition. A key characteristic that distinguishes low- and high-grade gliomas is neovascularization: it is absent in low-grade gliomas, but prolific in high-grade gliomas, providing the tumor with ample blood supply for exponential growth. It has been well described in the literature that bone marrow-derived cells (BMDCs) may contribute to the angiogenic switch that is responsible for malignant transformation of low-grade gliomas. In this review, we will summarize the current literature on BMDCs and their known contribution to angiogenesis-associated tumor growth in gliomas.
Photon-Counting Monolithic Avalanche Photodiode Arrays for the Super Collider

In fiber tracking, calorimetry, and other high energy and nuclear physics experiments, the need arises to detect an optical signal consisting of a few photons (in some cases a single photoelectron) with a detector insensitive to magnetic fields. Previous attempts to detect a single photoelectron have involved avalanche photodiodes (APDs) operated in the Geiger mode [1], the visible light photon counter [2], and a photomultiplier tube with an APD as the anode [3]. In this paper it is demonstrated that silicon APDs, biased below the breakdown voltage, can be used to detect a signal of a few photons with conventional pulse counting circuitry at room temperature. Moderate cooling, it is further argued, could make it possible to detect a single photoelectron.
Class size, reading instruction, and commercial materials

Abstract On the average, low class size (below a 20 to 1 student/teacher ratio) has significant effects on students’ academic achievement, if teachers will alter the regular instructional routines accordingly. Twenty primary‐grade teachers and forty primary‐aged students were observed for two hours each in such classrooms in order to see if reduced class size altered the typical organization and procedures of elementary school reading programs. Overall, 83 percent of teachers’ time was spent talking about, explaining, or monitoring students’ use of commercial reading materials. Student time was divided unequally among learning centers (6 percent), writing (1 percent), workbooks and worksheets (70 percent), reading books (10 percent), and reading group (13 percent). Reasons for the lack of change are explored through teachers’ and principals’ beliefs about commercial reading materials. Implication for schools and classrooms are discussed in terms of helping school personnel clairfy their beliefs about read...
Z-9, Z-12-Tetradecadien-1-O1 Acetate: An Inhibitor of the Response to the Sex Pheromone of Plodia interpunctella

The behavioral response of male Indian meal moth, Plodia interpunctella (Hubner), to the sex pheromone was inhibited by Z -9, Z -12-tetradecadien-1-ol acetate. The response of male almond moths, Cadra cautella (Walker), was not affected.
Organic Thin-Film Transistors for Selective Hydrogen Peroxide and Organic Peroxide Vapor Detection

Direct selective detection of hydrogen peroxide and di-tert-butyl peroxide vapors was demonstrated using organic thin-film transistor (OTFT) threshold voltage shifts. Positive threshold voltage shifts are observed during peroxide vapor sensing for metal–phthalocyanine (MPc)- and naphthalocyanine (Nc)-based OTFTs. The positive threshold voltage shift observed for peroxides is not evident with nonoxidizing analytes such as dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP) and water. MPc and Nc OTFT sensors operating at room temperature have distinct responses in mobility and threshold voltage to peroxide vapors. The mobility changes are reversible under dry air flow, whereas positive threshold voltage shifts are reversed by counter-dosing with a polar, electron-donating analyte. The peroxide-induced threshold voltage shifts suggest an accumulation of positive charge in the MPc/Nc film. The results are consistent with a dual-response mechanism in which the peroxide molecularly chemisorbs and subsequently catalytically decom...
Tools for Reflection: Video-Based Reflection Within a Preservice Community of Practice

Current reform in science education calls for teachers to understand student thinking within a lesson to effectively address students’ needs (NRC in A framework for K-12 science education: practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. National Academy Press, Washington, DC, 2012; NRC in Guide to implementing the Next Generation Science Standards. The National Academies Press, Washington, DC, 2015). This study investigates how to scaffold preservice teachers with learning to attend to students’ thinking for the purpose of guiding curricular decisions. The study focuses on one team teaching a science unit during their early field experience. We sought to understand how participants’ thoughts and abilities changed through participation in a moderated community of practice using video of their own teaching as a reflective tool. We examined how these changes affected both their classroom practice and their decision-making for future lessons. Evidence shows growth in participants’ ability to identify opportunities to elicit, assess, and use students’ thinking to guide instructional decisions. Implications for use of the approach used in this study to begin developing novice teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge for teaching science are discussed.
Managing the child infected with HIV.

SUMMARY Care of the HIV-infected/exposed infant and child is both routine and challenging. Routine well child care and immunizations are an important part of maintaining and monitoring health status. Challenges arise in the management of acute illnesses and the numerous crises that are experienced by the family caring for that child. Therapy guidelines now provide a logical way in which to initiate antiretroviral treatment and PCP prophylaxis. In HIV-infected children with early disease, common pathogens initially predominate, and only in advanced immune suppression does care become complicated enough to require expert consultation. With increasing numbers of HIV-infected women, perinatally acquired infections in infants will become more common. Early testing and identification will increasingly be important as a way to impact on the significant morbidity and mortality seen in infants less than 6 months old. A caring, compassionate, and comprehensive approach to the care of HIV-infected infants and children results in increased survival and lengthening of disease-free time. Providing this vitally needed care is both satisfying and stimulating.
Gamed Simulations for Social Scientists

On July 14, 1789, over 7000 Parisians took thousands of muskets from the Hotel des Invalides and answered the call, “To the Bastille!” They were looking for powder which had been moved to the Bastille from a nearby armory, and the large guns mounted on the walls eighty feet above the ground were a threat to the densely populated tenements which surrounded the Bastille. Those guns were never fired, and assisted by Gardes Francaises and a few cannon, the Parisians stormed and took the Bastille. A decisive step had been taken in the French Revolution.
Resilient reputation and trust management: models and techniques

The continued advances in service-oriented computing and global communications have created a strong technology push for online information sharing and business transactions among enterprises, organizations and individuals. While these communities offer enormous opportunities, they also present potential threats due to a lack of trust. Reputation systems provide a way for building trust through social control by harnessing the community knowledge in the form of feedback. Although feedback-based reputation systems help community participants decide who to trust and encourage trustworthy behavior, they also introduce vulnerabilities due to potential manipulations by dishonest or malicious players. Therefore, building an effective and resilient reputation system remains a big challenge for the wide deployment of service-oriented computing. This dissertation proposes a decentralized reputation based trust supporting framework called PeerTrust, focusing on models and techniques for resilient reputation management against feedback aggregation related vulnerabilities, especially feedback sparsity with potential feedback manipulation, feedback oscillation, and loss of feedback privacy. This dissertation research has made three unique contributions for building a resilient decentralized reputation system. First, we develop a core reputation model with important trust parameters and a coherent trust metric for quantifying and comparing the trustworthiness of participants. We develop decentralized strategies for implementing the trust model in an efficient and secure manner. Second, we develop techniques countering potential vulnerabilities associated with feedback aggregation, including a similarity inference scheme to counter feedback sparsity with potential feedback manipulations, and a novel metric based on Proportional, Integral, and Derivative (PID) model to handle strategic oscillating behavior of participants. Third but not the least, we develop privacy-conscious trust management models and techniques to address the loss of feedback privacy. We develop a set of novel probabilistic decentralized privacy-preserving computation protocols for important primitive operations. We show how feedback aggregation can be divided into individual steps that utilize above primitive protocols through an example reputation algorithm based on kNN classification. We perform experimental evaluations for each of the schemes we proposed and show the feasibility, effectiveness, and cost of our approach. The PeerTrust framework presents an important step forward with respect to developing attack-resilient reputation trust systems.
Leisingera sp. JC1, a Bacterial Isolate from Hawaiian Bobtail Squid Eggs, Produces Indigoidine and Differentially Inhibits Vibrios.

Female members of many cephalopod species house a bacterial consortium that is part of their reproductive system, the accessory nidamental gland (ANG). These bacteria are deposited into eggs that are then laid in the environment where they must develop unprotected from predation, pathogens and fouling. In this study, we characterized the genome and secondary metabolite production of Leisingera sp. JC1, a member of the roseobacter clade (Rhodobacteraceae) of Alphaproteobacteria isolated from the jelly coat of eggs from the Hawaiian bobtail squid, Euprymna scolopes. Whole genome sequencing and MLSA analysis revealed that Leisingera sp. JC1 falls within a group of roseobacters associated with squid ANGs. Genome and biochemical analyses revealed the potential for and production of a number of secondary metabolites, including siderophores and acyl-homoserine lactones involved with quorum sensing. The complete biosynthetic gene cluster for the pigment indigoidine was detected in the genome and mass spectrometry confirmed the production of this compound. Furthermore, we investigated the production of indigoidine under co-culture conditions with Vibrio fischeri, the light organ symbiont of E. scolopes, and with other vibrios. Finally, both Leisingera sp. JC1 and secondary metabolite extracts of this strain had differential antimicrobial activity against a number of marine vibrios, suggesting that Leisingera sp. JC1 may play a role in host defense against other marine bacteria either in the eggs and/or ANG. These data also suggest that indigoidine may be partially, but not wholly, responsible for the antimicrobial activity of this squid-associated bacterium. □
Short-term quality of life outcomes following pediatric septoplasty

AbstractConclusions: Pediatric septoplasty may be associated with short-term symptomatic benefit. This benefit may be greater in female patients and equally achievable in young patients and using less invasive surgical approaches.Objective: To determine the short-term effect of pediatric septoplasty, which is not routinely performed, on sinus and nasal-specific quality-of-life.Methods: This study is a retrospective case series of 28 pediatric patients that underwent septoplasty. Pre- and post-septoplasty SN-5 overall (mean of all five items, range = 1–7) and visual analog scale (VAS; range = 0–10) scores were obtained and compared using a Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Comparisons of pre- to post-septoplasty changes by sex (female vs male), age (<13 vs ≥13 years), and surgical approach (open vs closed) were performed using a Mann–Whitney U-test. Median and interquartile range are reported.Results: Overall and VAS scores significantly improved from pre- to post-septoplasty (3.5 [2.8, 4.3] to 2.0 [1.4, 2.8], p ...
Detection and Estimation of Re-Refined Engine Oil Bottoms in Asphalt Binders: Texas Department of Transportation's Approach with Wavelength Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy

The Texas Department of Transportation investigated the use of wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WDXRF) spectroscopy to estimate the amount of re-refined engine oil bottoms (REOB) in asphalt binders. The objectives of this investigation were to use WDXRF to detect and quantify REOB in binder samples and to evaluate the accuracy of the quantified content. The detection of REOB in asphalt binders was determined by the presence of the elements phosphorus, molybdenum, zinc, copper, calcium, and potassium. Quantifying REOB content was achieved by determining the intensity of these elements and correlating that intensity with a known dosage of REOB with the use of a calibration standard. More than 100 binder and REOB combinations were prepared, and four calibration standards were developed for this study. The data analysis determined that correlations were specific to binder and REOB combinations. Significant error was introduced into the analysis when the REOB content for a sample was quantified accord...
Lossy compression of voltage level samples before detection in distributed passive bistatic radar systems

Distributed passive radars confront the high dynamic range challenge by splitting the receiver physically to provide high SNR samples of the transmitter as well as reduced cochannel interference. The receivers are mutually coherent and must therefore exchange voltage level data for computation of the cross-ambiguity function. The data bandwidth required for full- precision (16 bit) data is about 2 Mbps to support for a single channel. This data bandwidth demand can stress the cost and latency of distributed passive radars. Therefore we investigate the effect the sensitivity of a passive radar system using several methods to compress the voltage level samples prior. (4 pages)
Generalized line spectral estimation for radar and localization

A variety of problems arising in imaging, radar, and localization amount to recover a signal that is sparse in a continuous indexed dictionary. Line spectral estimation theory considers a particular instance of this problem, namely that of estimating the frequency and magnitude components of a sum of complex sinusoids from uniformly spaced samples. In this work we consider the significantly more general class of continuous sparse signal recovery problems where only an severely under-sampled version of theses uniformly spaced samples is observed through linear measurements. Applications that fall within this framework are, amongst others, the recovery of the delay-Doppler shifts in radar, and the angle-delay-Doppler triplets in multiple input multiple output (MIMO) radar. We prove that the frequencies and amplitudes of the sinusoids can be recovered perfectly by solving a convex program, from a near-minimal number of observations. This result holds provided the frequencies are sufficiently separated, and provided that the linear measurements obey mild conditions that are satisfied in a variety of applications.
Calculating the electromagnetic field and losses in the end region of large synchronous generators under different operating conditions with three-dimensional transient finite element analysis

The significant losses in the end components due to the leakage magnetic field excited by the armature and field end windings can result in partial overheating and is an important consideration in the design of large synchronous generators. This paper describes an approach based on the three-dimensional (3D) transient finite element analysis (FEA) to determine the fields and losses in the generator end region. Taking the nonlinear/anisotropic properties of the stator core, as well as the slitting and stepping shape of core-end packets into consideration, the electromagnetic field and loss distribution in the end region is calculated. The method is validated by the agreement found between the temperatures predicted by the 3D stationary thermal FEA and the temperatures obtained from a physical measurement at various points in the generator. Then, the field and loss distributions in the end region under the open-circuit test condition, power factor lagging condition and leading condition are analyzed and compared using the proposed transient 3D FEA method.
Two routes toward optimism: how agentic and communal themes in autobiographical memories guide optimism for the future

Autobiographical memories are particularly adaptive because they function not only to preserve the past, but also to direct our future thoughts and behaviours. Two studies were conducted to examine how communal and agentic themes of positive autobiographical memories differentially predicted the route from autobiographical memories to optimism for the future. Across two studies, results revealed that the degree to which participants focused on communal themes in their autobiographical memories predicted their experience of nostalgia. In turn, the experience of nostalgia increased participants' levels of self-esteem and in turn, optimism for the future. By contrast, the degree to which participants focused on agentic themes in their memories predicted self-esteem and optimism, operating outside the experience of nostalgia. These effects remained even after controlling for self-focused attention. Together, these studies provide greater understanding of the interrelations among autobiographical memory, self-concept, and time, and demonstrate how agency and communion operate to influence perceptions of one's future when thinking about the past.
Excretory Processes in Toxicology: Drug Transporters in Drug Development

Excretory systems play an important role in determining the overall exposure to pharmaceuticals, and efflux and uptake transporters can contribute greatly to drug efficacy and toxicity depending on the physiochemical characteristics of the drug. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA) have recognized the importance of drug transporters on pharmacokinetics and the potential for drug–drug interactions and have developed guidance for evaluating drug interactions with investigational new drugs. While drug transporters only contribute to a portion of a drug’s absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion characteristics, there have been enough important contributions from in vitro and in vivo studies to predict clinical performance. The FDA and EMA have determined that drug interaction studies with the following transporters must be evaluated if there is evidence that the transporter interacts with the investigational drug: P-glycoprotein, breast cancer resistance protein, organic anion transporting polypeptide 1B1 (OATP1B1), OATP1B3, organic cation transporter 2, organic anion transporter 1 (OAT1), and OAT3. The purpose of this article is to give investigators an overview of these seven transporters in the context of the required drug–drug interaction studies, clinical relevance, the genetic polymorphism landscape, and preclinical safety assessment considerations.
Increased millennial engagement through service-learning: the causal impact of community service self-efficacy

Considering labels including 'the entitled generation', 'the dumbest generation', and the 'everybody gets a trophy generation', it is understandable that there is a rapidly growing body of research on the negative aspects of the expanding millennial portion of the workforce. The current study, however, explores possible benefits of some millennial traits. Specifically, the authors argue that certain organisational activities, such as the creation of service opportunities, may not only be welcomed by millennials, but may also improve engagement. A sample of 239 millennials was used to explore this relationship. Regression analysis indicated that self-efficacy resulting from community service opportunities positively and significantly predicted engagement levels. Thus, results support the notion that targeted organisational activities such as service opportunities may lead to higher levels of engagement. Discussion and implications for future research follow.
Rhabdomyolysis and Fluctuating Asymptomatic HyperCKemia Associated with CACNA1S Variant (P5.448)

Objective: To investigate the molecular defect of exertional rhabdomyolysis and intermittent asymptomatic creatine kinase (CK) elevation in an otherwise healthy individual. Background: Rhabdomyolysis is being more commonly recognized as a result of ryanodine receptor 1 ( RYR1 ) mutations, which can also manifest with congenital myopathy, exertional heat illness and malignant hyperthermia susceptibility (MHS). Mutations in the pore-forming subunit of the skeletal L-type calcium channel (Ca v 1.1; CACNA1S ) frequently cause periodic paralysis, and, similar to RYR1 variants, can also lead to MHS and congenital myopathy. Ca v 1.1 is a voltage sensor for muscle excitation-contraction coupling and activates RYR1 leading to calcium release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum. Design/Methods: Clinical and laboratory data review; next generation sequencing and Sanger sequencing of genes causative of myopathies. Results: A 36-year-old man presented with a single episode of rhabdomyolysis (CK=17,658 U/L) in the setting of heat stroke, followed by asymptomatic, fluctuating hyperCKemia (up to 6,456 U/L). He had no history of malignant hyperthermia or prior episodic weakness. Once the rhabdomyolysis resolved, his muscle strength normalized. Serum and urine biomarkers for metabolic, infectious and autoimmune myopathies were normal or negative. Electromyography, EKG and echocardiogram were normal. Muscle biopsy showed core-like structures mainly in type 2 fibers. Analysis of genes linked to rhabdomyolysis and core-myopathies, including RYR1 , showed no mutations but detected a novel Ca v 1.1 variant (p.Arg528Leu). This variant affects a highly conserved amino acid, is not present in population databases and is predicted to be deleterious by various algorithms. Different mutations of Ca v 1.1 p.Arg528 are known to cause hypokalemic periodic paralysis, which patient did not report. McManis long exercise test, performed after the identification of the CACNA1S variant, showed no subclinical evidence of periodic paralysis. Conclusions: Our patient expands the spectrum of CACNA1S -associated myopathy and underscores the similarity between the phenotypes dictated by two functionally linked proteins, RYR1 and Ca v 1.1. Study Supported by: Study funded from the Neurology CTSA Small Grants Program and through a generous gift from a Mayo Clinic benefactor. Disclosure: Dr. Anandan has nothing to disclose. Dr. Cipriani has nothing to disclose. Dr Laughlin has nothing to disclose. Dr. Niu has nothing to disclose. Dr. Milone has nothing to disclose.
Comparing Bayesian and Frequentist Estimators of a Scalar Parameter

As should be evident from the discussion in the three preceding chapters, both the Bayesian and the frequentist approaches to estimation have positive attributes, and yet both also have vulnerabilities that can lead to poor and misleading inferences. The Bayesian paradigm appears to have the advantage in terms of pure logic, both in its foundations and in the methodology that’s built upon them.We have noted, however, that a logically consistent analysis might rightly be judged to be inadequate when it leads to a conclusion that is off the mark. The Frequentist school, on the other hand, has an apparent edge in terms of the notion of “objectivity,” as it proceeds on the basis of a data-driven model and does not utilize “subjective” inputs concerning unknown population parameters whose influence is often difficult to identify and may, in some circumstances, be detrimental. But “objectivity” has been seen to be a two-edged sword, as simple examples make it abundantly clear that subjective inputs can, at times, save an analyst from disaster. Our examination of asymptotic methods in Statistics leads to the conclusion that, under reasonably broad conditions, the two theories of estimation result in solutions that may be described as equivalent (albeit with respect to a frequentist measure of merit). Ease of application has been discussed, and while it is hardly a criterion one would want to place undue weight on when choosing an approach in any serious application, the issue does help us understand why frequentist methods might be the more popular options in certain kinds of applications. In modern computing environments, Bayesian analyses are now feasible in a wide range of models and problems, and the “ease of application” issue might well be considered a draw at this point in time.
Ambiguous Subjects: The Autobiographical Situation and the Disembodiment of 68

On October 2, 1968, while Mexico City prepared to host the ‘68 Summer Olympics, government tanks patrolled the city’s main streets, and “hundreds (some estimates say thousands) of students were massacred in Tlatelolco... their bodies... burned or dumped in the ocean.”1 The popular student movement was effectively silenced, symbolically “disappeared” on the bodies of the dead and missing.
Optical Diagnostics of Processing Plasmas

Optical interactions with the plasma provide powerful probes for monitoring the operation of semiconductor processing reactors. The probes do not perturb the system under study, and can be applied in situ to provide real-time information. This section provides a brief review of the physics involved with these diagnostic probes, followed by brief descriptions of several of the more popular methods. Length limitations restrict severely the level of coverage, and several important techniques are not discussed at all. It is hoped that sufficient information is available that the interested reader will be able to find a more complete treatment of any subjects of interest.
Stochastic Trees and Medical Decision Making

Medical decision problems that confront a patient often involve chances of serious health consequences that may extend many years into the future. Conventional decision tree diagrams are not well suited to represent such continuously distributed temporal uncertainties. As a modeling aid for such problems, Hazen (1992) introduced the stochastic tree, a diagram which combines features of decision trees and stochastic-process transition diagrams. Stochastic tree diagrams can not only depict continuously distributed temporal uncertainties, but, like decision trees, can also be rolled back to determine optimal decisions. This rollback procedure is an instance of the method of successive approximations from stochastic dynamic programming. It can be applied not only for risk-neutral objective functions, such as mean quality adjusted life years (QALY), but also for the calculation of expected utility (Hazen and Pellissier 1994) leading to quality and risk adjusted life years or QRALY.
Acceptable Weight Ranges for Research Tissue Procurement and Biorepositories, 2015-2017.

Background: The Cooperative Human Tissue Network, Midwestern Division, is a National Cancer Institute-funded program that provides quality research biospecimens to qualified investigators. Consente...
Cleavage of leukotriene D4 in mice with targeted disruption of a membrane-bound dipeptidase gene

Leukotriene C4 (LTC4), leukotriene D4 (LTD4), and leukotriene E4 (LTE4), collectively known as cysteinyl leukotrienes, are members of the eicosanoid group of lipid mediators1. They have been implicated in a wide variety of acute and chronic inflammatory conditions including asthma, tissue injury, cardiac and liver diseases, and shock2,3. Production of LTC4 is initiated by the conjugation of the epoxide intermediate LTA4 with glutathione (GSH). LTC4 is further metabolized to the cysteinyl glycine conjugate of LTA4 known as LTD4 by the actions of two plasma-membrane-bound ectoenzymes, γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) and γ-glutamyl leukotrienase (GGL)4,5. LTD4 is believed to be converted to the less active cysteinyl glycine conjugate of LTA4 called LTE4 by a dipeptidase6. The rank order of molar potencies of cysteinyl leukotrienes is LTD4>LTC4 >LTE4. LTD4 is considered to be at least 10 to 100-fold more potent than LTE4 7. Consequently, conversion of LTD4 to LTE4 is a critical step in the cysteinyl leukotriene metabolism. LTC4, LTD4, and LTE4 are eliminated from the blood circulation with initial half-lives of 30–40 s. They are mainly taken up by kidney and liver and excreted into the urine and bile, respectively8. Thus, the liver seems to be the major site of their metabolic inactivation.
Terrorism and land use in agriculture: The case of Boko Haram in Nigeria

Abstract In many developing countries, subsistence agriculture is the mainstay of the rural economy, improved land access and efficient land use are critical to short-term livelihoods and long-term economic transformation, and major shocks to land ownership, utilization and arrangements have far-reaching implications for farm families. In many such countries, armed conflict is emerging as a significant source of shock to agricultural and food systems, but its effects on land use are not well understood. This paper conceptualizes and estimates the causal effects of exposure to attacks on plot ownership, cultivated land, rented land, land values and cropping patterns while controlling for other factors. Using data on Nigerian agricultural households affected by Boko Haram, we find that an increase in the intensity of terrorist attacks results in an increase in the amount of land owned due to the abandonment of farms by neighbors and family members, increases the percentage of land left fallow, increases the average size of plots farmed, increases the average distance between plots farmed and the homestead, discourages mono cropping and encourages mixed cropping. Farmers’ expectations about the values of their lands also decrease with exposure to terrorism.