cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Resilient Control System Metrics

Resilience of a system, particularly critical infrastructure, is of great interest to utilities and stakeholders. Consequences of natural or man-made events (e.g., Superstorm Sandy, the sequence of storms affecting the Caribbean and coast of the United States in 2017, and the Ukrainian power grid attack) have led to emphasis and increased interest in improving resilience. However, measurement of resilience in an absolute or relative manner has been achieved in a patchwork manner. This chapter will provide the description of metric development for an electricity distribution network and begin with a definition of resilience. That definition must meet the expectation of being understandable in its linguistic form that sets a goal that would lead to systems that would stand up to large disturbances of many possible types in a manner that is quantifiable by a set of metrics. The metrics that measure a system’s absolute or relative improvement is then developed for that purpose. Many notional definitions and attempts at resilience metrics formation have been coined by venerable organizations, such as the EPRI, ICS-CERT, DHS, National Academy of Sciences, and others. Common words among these sources are the ability to withstand or resist, survive, and respond expeditiously such that operations or life returns to normal as quickly as possible. To make resilience quantifiable, a proper definition of resilience and the relationship between it and reliability will facilitate development of useful resilience metrics and resilient grid architectures. The definition that is used as the basis has been developed by researchers in the community studying resilient controls over the past decade and can be found in Rieger and Rieger, Gertman, and McQueen:
Accession-Level Differentiation of Urushiol Levels, and Identification of Cardanols in Nascent Emerged Poison Ivy Seedlings

Poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans (L.) Kuntze) shows accession-level differentiation in a variety of morphometric traits, suggesting local adaptation. To investigate whether the presumed defense compound urushiol also demonstrates accession-level accumulation differences, in vitro nascent germinated poison ivy seedlings from geographically isolated populations were germinated in vitro and then assayed for known urushiol congener accumulation levels. Significant accession-level differences in the accumulation levels of total C15- and C17-, total C15-, total C17-, specific C15 congeners, and specific C17 congeners of urushiol were identified. In addition, hereto novel C15- and C17-urushiol isomers were identified as well. Cardanols are assumed to be the penultimate metabolites giving rise to urushiols, but this assumption was not previously empirically validated. C15-cardanol congeners and isomers corresponding to expected substrates needed to produce the observed C15-urushiol congeners and isomers were identified in the same poison ivy seedling extracts. Total C15-cardanol and C15-cardanol congeners also showed significant accession-level differences. Based on the observed C15-cardanol congeners in poison ivy, the penultimate step in urushiol biosynthesis was proposed to be a cardanol-specific hydroxylase activity.
Making and remaking Europe: the Czech and Slovak contribution

In early November 2018, midway between the centennial of the Czechoslovak declaration of independence (Oct 28) and the anniversary of the Velvet Revolution (Nov.17), the Munk School of Global Affai...
A laminated energetic electrostatic analyzer for 0–5 keV charged particles

A compact electrostatic energy bandpass filter based on a laminated analyzer design has been developed to measure charged particle fluxes at energies ranging from 0 to 5 keV. The sensor head has been successfully tested against a low energy magnetically filtered plasma source and an ion beam source capable of producing energetic ions in the range of 100–1250 eV. Additionally, the instrument has demonstrated the ability to accurately measure negative spacecraft frame charging using a low Earth orbit plasma simulator. The effects of the spacecraft frame charging on the measured energy distribution measurements and the impact regarding the derived charged particle density and temperature parameters are also examined.A compact electrostatic energy bandpass filter based on a laminated analyzer design has been developed to measure charged particle fluxes at energies ranging from 0 to 5 keV. The sensor head has been successfully tested against a low energy magnetically filtered plasma source and an ion beam source capable of producing energetic ions in the range of 100–1250 eV. Additionally, the instrument has demonstrated the ability to accurately measure negative spacecraft frame charging using a low Earth orbit plasma simulator. The effects of the spacecraft frame charging on the measured energy distribution measurements and the impact regarding the derived charged particle density and temperature parameters are also examined.
3.3 Proteomic and Advanced Biochemical Techniques to Study Protein Adsorption

Proteomics approaches are particularly suited for the study of adsorbed proteins. Biomaterials placed in plasma or serum adsorb many different proteins, more than just the major proteins that are commonly studied (eg, albumin, fibrinogen, IgG). Proteomic methods are able to identify multiple proteins from complex mixtures of proteins and may provide a more complete picture of the adsorbed protein layer on a surface. Typically, proteins will be desorbed from a surface using a surfactant and analyzed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Spots of interest are excised, digested with trypsin and analyzed by mass spectrometry. The molecular weights of the peptides, or fragments of the peptides, may be used to identify proteins in the samples. Proteomic methods also include a number of other techniques that allow a relatively unbiased snapshot of adsorbed protein constituents. However, challenges still remain. Identification is not entirely useful without some means for quantification of protein amounts. Furthermore, elution of proteins from biomaterials is usually incomplete, raising questions about bias toward weakly adsorbed proteins. Although substantial technical developments are needed, proteomic methods will continue to grow in importance in the study of biological interactions with materials.
Electrolytes and Cardiovascular Disease Risk

The relationship between sodium intake and blood pressure is a well-studied phenomenon; however, the impact of sodium intake on cardiovascular disease risk and mortality is controversial. Recent studies conclude that weak evidence exists to support sodium restriction for the prevention of cardiovascular mortality in normotensive and hypertensive adults, suggesting that sodium restriction may be an ineffective strategy for disease prevention. Further evidence points to the importance of balancing sodium and potassium intake, a balance commonly achieved with a healthier diet containing greater quantities of fruits and vegetables. The purpose of this article is to highlight dietary strategies that may prove to be more effective in reducing cardiovascular disease risk. Limitations of current methods used to estimate nutrient intake are described as they relate to this topic. Further research is needed to advance understanding of various aspects of dietary intake that are health protective and allow for the development of more effective public education strategies.
FPGA-based rate-adaptive LDPC-coded modulation for the next generation of optical communication systems

In this invited paper, we describe a rate-adaptive FEC scheme based on LDPC codes together with its software reconfigurable unified FPGA architecture. By FPGA emulation, we demonstrate that this class of rate-adaptive LDPC codes based on shortening with an overhead from 25% to 42.9% provides a coding gain ranging from 13.08 dB to 14.28 dB at a post-FEC BER of 10−15 for BPSK transmission. In addition, the proposed rate-adaptive LDPC coding combined with higher-order modulations have been demonstrated including QPSK, 8-QAM, 16-QAM, 32-QAM, and 64-QAM, which covers a wide range of signal-to-noise ratios. Furthermore, we apply the unequal error protection by employing different LDPC codes on different bits in 16-QAM and 64-QAM, which results in additional 0.5 dB gain compared to conventional LDPC coded modulation with the same code rate of corresponding LDPC code.
Patriarchy in Industrial Era Europe: Skeletal Evidence of Male Preference During Growth

Structural violence in the form of exposure to poor environments, malnutrition, and labor during childhood can lead to stunted height and increased morbidity and mortality. Studies of skeletal samples from Industrial Era Europe show high levels of stress, suggesting living conditions were strained. While poor conditions negatively impact all children, boys may be particularly disadvantaged, because girls can reserve nutritional components buffering them during times of stress. This research examines skeletal growth in three Industrial European skeletal samples hypothesizing all children will display stunted growth, those from the low SES sample will be most stunted, and boys will exhibit more stunting than girls. Femur length was measured in known-sex juveniles (0–18 years) from low, middle, and high socioeconomic status (SES) samples. Results do show that children in all three samples display stunted growth that increased in severity throughout childhood. However, low SES children are less stunted than their middle and high SES counterparts. This suggests middle and high SES children had the ability to survive through their stressors longer than the lower SES children, allowing their bodies time to accumulate stunted height prior to death, an option not given to the lower SES children. While stunting varied between boys and girls throughout early and young childhood, a clear pattern emerged in all three samples at the age of adolescence with girls severely stunted while boys appear to catch up. This suggests gender preference for adolescent boys gaining better access to higher quality foods, health care, and family support.
Endarterectomía carotídea, resultados a mediano y largo plazo.

Introduccion: Entre el 50 al 80% de los pacientes con un ictus, presentan lesion de la arteria carotida comun o interna , de estos un 15 a 30% quedan con discapacidad severa, y el 20% requiere de institucionalizacion. Objetivo: Analizar las variables epidemiologicas involucradas en la estenosis carotidea, y los resultados a mediano - largo plazo de la endarterectomia carotidea. Materiales y metodos: Estudio observacional, descriptivo y retrospectivo, donde se analizan 103 endarterectomias carotideas sucesivas, realizadas en 97 pacientes, en un periodo de 12 anos (2007 al 2018), en el Servicio de Cirugia del Hospital Dr. Eduardo Pereira de Valparaiso, Chile. Resultados: Sexo masculino 64,9%, edad promedio 70,2 anos, sintomaticos 65,9%, presentacion clinica mas frecuente el ataque isquemico transitorio (48,4%), morbilidad global inmediata del procedimiento 20,3%, AVE peri operarorio 3,9% (ninguno discapacitante), disfuncion de nervios perifericos 5,8%, mortalidad operatoria 70% y cuando se efectua en un plazo menor a 2 semanas del evento isquemico. Conclusion: La endarterectomia carotidea sigue siendo el procedimiento quirurgico de eleccion, para tratar la estenosis carotidea severa, realizada en centros con experiencia, es un procedimiento seguro y eficaz en la prevencion del infarto cerebral.
“Scared, Shaking, and Nervous, and Crying”: Perspectives of People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities on the Criminal Justice System

Purpose: People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DDs) have disproportionately negative experiences in the criminal justice system as both victims and as the accused. While there are some programs aimed at addressing these disparities, most are not informed by people with these disabilities. The current project addresses this need. Methods: Twenty-seven adults with I/DDs were interviewed about any experience they had with criminal justice—positive or negative, formal or informal. Results: Here, their beliefs about and advice for criminal justice professional are presented. Overall, findings in both areas were varied based on disability level, race, gender, and type of interaction with the system. The most frequently agreed up need was that for more respect. Conclusion: Getting input from people with I/DDs is critical to improving training programs for criminal justice professionals and other first responders to improve their interactions and reduce disparities in the system.
Assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients with genitourinary malignancies

38Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has vast implications on the health system. Patients with a cancer diagnosis may face greater challenges in the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic. Methods...
Modified Voltage and Frequency Control of Parallel-Connected Grid-Forming Inverters by Virtual Synchronous Machine Controller

With higher penetration of Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) into the utility power grid, the power control architecture of the grid must be revisited. The main reason for this is that DERs mostly interface with the grid through power electronics (i.e. inverters), whereas traditional centralized grid-forming has been majorly achieved by Synchronous Generators (SG). By employing a Virtual Synchronous Machine (VISMA) controller, benefits such as communication-less and independent power control can be achieved concurrently with maintaining power grid standards (stable voltage and frequency constraints). However, the VISMA controller cannot operate under conditions where the central grid is absent, especially for the black-start condition. In this paper, a modified VISMA (called Mod-Visma) is proposed, which incorporates the missing voltage and frequency regulation outer loops into the baseline VISMA control architecture. The performance of this modified controller is validated in MATLAB/Simulink.
Chemoselective reduction of tertiary amides by 1,3-diphenyldisiloxane (DPDS)

A convenient procedure for the chemoselective reduction of tertiary amides at room temperature in the presence of air and moisture using 1,3-diphenyldisiloxane (DPDS) has been developed. The reaction conditions are tolerant of a great number of functional groups including esters, nitriles, secondary amides, carbamates, sulfoxides, sulfones, sulfonyl fluorides, halogens, aryl-nitro groups, and arylamines. The conditions reported are the mildest to date and utilize EtOAc, a preferred solvent given its excellent safety profile and lower environmental impact. The ease of set up and broad chemoselectivity make this method attractive for organic synthesis. These results further demonstrate the utility of DPDS as a selective reducing agent.
Intervento sulla crisi con famiglie

Capita frequentemente che le famiglie si trovino a dover affrontare situazioni che richiedono un intervento sulla crisi e che quest’ultimo debba essere affrontato con un approccio diverso per i membri della famiglia, rispetto a quando si lavora con individui singoli. Nel caso in cui ci sia qualche sovrapposizione tra l’intervento sulla crisi diretto all’individuo e quello rivolto alla famiglia, l’elemento chiave e l’applicazione di un approccio sistemico. Elementi che possono giustificare un bisogno di terapia familiare possono essere i seguenti: problemi matrimoniali; divorzio; disturbi alimentari, come anoressia o bulimia; abuso di sostanze; depressione o disturbo bipolare; problemi di salute cronici, come asma o cancro; lutto, perdita e trauma; stress lavorativo; capacita parentali; abuso o violenza emotiva; problemi finanziari. Tra gli elementi chiave di un intervento sulla crisi con famiglie troviamo: risposta immediata; supporto per le famiglie; valutazione di risorse e necessita; scelte per le famiglie; contatto con servizi appropriati; utilizzo di supporti naturali e di risorse informali di comunita per dare sostegno al sistema familiare.
Minimally invasive lumbar decompression—the surgical learning curve

Abstract Background Context Minimally invasive spine surgery (MIS) procedures carry an inherently difficult learning curve based upon anecdotal evidence. Few studies have investigated the surgeon's learning curve for MIS lumbar laminectomy or laminotomy with or without discectomy. Purpose To characterize the learning curve of a 1- or 2-level MIS lumbar decompression (LD) based on perioperative and postoperative parameters . Study Design/Setting Retrospective analysis of a prospectively maintained registry was used for this study. Patient Sample There were 228 consecutive patients who underwent a primary 1- or 2-level MIS LD by a single surgeon for degenerative spinal pathology from 2009 to 2014. From 2005 to 2006, 50 patients underwent 1- or 2-level open LD consecutively. Outcome Measures Perioperative and postoperative outcomes (complications, visual analogue scale [VAS] scores, reoperations) were the outcome measures for this study. Methods Patients were stratified into first and second groups as determined by the case number at which the procedural time reached a plateau. Demographics, comorbidity, pain scores, and surgical outcomes were compared between the first 50 patients and the subsequent 178 patients. The secondary analysis compared the surgical outcomes between the initial 50 MIS and 50 open LD patients. No funds were received in support of this work. Results The initial cohort was older with a higher comorbidity burden (p Conclusions Continued surgical experience was associated with a reduced operative time, shorter length of hospitalization, and similar blood loss following an MIS LD. Independent of surgical experience, all patients demonstrated similar improvements in clinical outcomes. These findings appear to suggest that although surgical experience may improve perioperative parameters (operative time, length of hospitalization), an MIS LD may initially be performed safely without prior experience.
Sans-Papiers, Sans Recourse? Challenging Recent Immigration Laws in France

The 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen established natural and inalienable rights not only for French citizens but also for all of humanity. This historic commitment to fundamental rights and liberties notwithstanding, immigrants without legal documents living in France (sans-papiers) often do not benefit from some of these most basic guarantees. In 2007, a Commission charged with modernizing and reforming the institutions of the Fifth Republic proposed amending the Constitution to allow individuals to argue that the law, as applied in their case, does not conform to the rights and liberties recognized by the Constitution. By December 2009, a constitutional revision law and an institutional act had combined to grant the Constitutional Council a striking new power: the ability to review laws after promulgation and to assess their conformity with the Constitution. This recent evolution may provide the basis for constitutional challenges to the restrictive legislation sans-
Advances and Challenges for Scalable Provenance in Stream Processing Systems

While data provenance is a well-studied topic in both database and workflow systems, its support within stream processing systems presents a new set of challenges. Part of the challenge is the high stream event rate and the low processing latency requirements imposed by many streaming applications. For example, emerging streaming applications in healthcare or finance call for data provenance, as illustrated in the Century stream processing infrastructure that we are building for supporting online healthcare analytics. At anytime, given an output data element (e.g., a medical alert) generated by Century, the system must be able to retrieve the input and intermediate data elements that led to its generation. In this paper, we describe the requirements behind our initial implementation of Century's provenance subsystem. We then analyze its strengths and limitations and propose a new provenance architecture to address some of these limitations. The paper also includes a discussion on the open challenges in this area.
Neonatal pertussis complicated by apnea with favorable outcome

Pertussis, or whooping cough, is a severe infection when affecting young children. Infants in the neonatal period are especially vulnerable, since they have not received vaccination, and have an immature immune system. We report a case of a neonate who was diagnosed with pertussis complicated by multiple episodes of apneas, bradycardia and desaturation events. The infant was critically ill and was admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, but subsequently improved while receiving only conventional respiratory support and was discharged home with an overall good outcome.
Modafinil administration improves working memory in methamphetamine- dependent individuals who demonstrate baseline impairment

Modafinil improves working memory in healthy subjects and individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, though the effects of modafinil have not been evaluated on working memory in methamphetamine-dependent subjects. This double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluated whether a daily dose of 400 mg of modafinil, administered over three consecutive days, would enhance performance on a measure of working memory relative to test performance at baseline and following 3 days of placebo administration in 11 methamphetamine addicted, nontreatment-seeking volunteers. The results revealed that participants demonstrating relatively poor performance on the third day of a 3-day washout period (ie, at baseline), showed significant improvement on measures of working memory, but not on measures of episodic memory or information processing speed. In contrast, for participants demonstrating relatively high performance at baseline, modafinil administration did not affect test scores. The findings provide an initial indication that modafinil can reverse methamphetamine-associated impairments in working memory.
A Sequential Monte Carlo Method for Bayesian Analysis of Massive Datasets

Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) techniques revolutionized statistical practice in the 1990s by providing an essential toolkit for making the rigor and flexibility of Bayesian analysis computationally practical. At the same time the increasing prevalence of massive datasets and the expansion of the field of data mining has created the need for statistically sound methods that scale to these large problems. Except for the most trivial examples, current MCMC methods require a complete scan of the dataset for each iteration eliminating their candidacy as feasible data mining techniques. In this article we present a method for making Bayesian analysis of massive datasets computationally feasible. The algorithm simulates from a posterior distribution that conditions on a smaller, more manageable portion of the dataset. The remainder of the dataset may be incorporated by reweighting the initial draws using importance sampling. Computation of the importance weights requires a single scan of the remaining observations. While importance sampling increases efficiency in data access, it comes at the expense of estimation efficiency. A simple modification, based on the “rejuvenation” step used in particle filters for dynamic systems models, sidesteps the loss of efficiency with only a slight increase in the number of data accesses. To show proof-of-concept, we demonstrate the method on two examples. The first is a mixture of transition models that has been used to model web traffic and robotics. For this example we show that estimation efficiency is not affected while offering a 99% reduction in data accesses. The second example applies the method to Bayesian logistic regression and yields a 98% reduction in data accesses.
Development and validation of a turbulent flow chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry method for the quantitation of methotrexate and its metabolites 7-hydroxy methotrexate and DAMPA in serum

A rapid and simple turbulent flow liquid chromatography (TFC-LC) method implementing positive heated electrospray ionization (HESI) for the accurate and precise determination of methotrexate (MTX), 7-hydroxy methotrexate (7-OH MTX), and 4-amino-4-deoxy-N(10)-methylpteroic acid (DAMPA) concentrations in serum was developed. MTX was isolated from serum samples (100μL) after protein precipitation with methanol containing formic acid and internal standard (MTX-D3) followed by centrifugation. The supernatant was injected into the turbulent flow liquid chromatography which is followed by electrospray positive ionization tandem mass spectrometry (TFC-LC-MS/MS) and quantified using a six-point calibration curve. For MTX and DAMPA the assays were linear from 10 to 1000nmol/L and for 7-OH MTX from 20 to 2000nmol/L. Dilutions of 10, 100 and 1000-fold were validated giving a clinically reportable range of 10nmol/L to 5×10(5)nmol/L. Within-day and between-day precisions at concentrations spanning the analytical measurement ranges were less than 10% for all three analytes. MTX, DAMPA and 7-OH MTX were sufficiently stable under all relevant analytical conditions. No significant matrix effect was observed during the method validation. The TFC-LC-MS/MS MTX method was also compared with three other clinically validated MTX assays: a dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) inhibition assay, an immunoassay based on fluorescence polarization and a previously developed LC-MS/MS assay.
Teaching Effort and the Future of Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions:

In this article we discuss two impediments to widespread adoption and implementation of cognitive-behavioral intervention (CBI) procedures by teachers of students with behavior disorders. First, it...
Developing sustainability leadership through faculty professional development

An increasing number of faculty are seeing the need for integrative teaching that is relevant for the grand challenges of our times. Faculty professional development can provide an effective avenue to support innovative pedagogy and curricular leadership related to sustainability. The University of Vermont (UVM) Sustainability Faculty Fellows Program (SFF) was developed by a group of academic and community partners to address this challenge. Over the course of 6 years, the program grew from a handful of faculty funded by one-time competitive funds to just over 100 faculty and staff participants with base level funding from the Provost’s Office. Through the leadership efforts of sustainability faculty fellows, a sustainability general education requirement was developed and approved through the UVM Faculty Senate in 2015. Drawing on data sets prepared by Rowse (2013) and Natkin (2015), this paper reports findings of three assessment efforts evaluating the long-term impacts of the SFF program to develop faculty leadership in sustainability curricula. In 2013, a 4-year report analyzed course and faculty information (i.e., enrollment, course level, type of course, faculty rank, and disciplinary field). In 2014, interviews of program alumni revealed benefits of participating in a professional learning community, common challenges in teaching sustainability concepts, and examples of changes in fellows’ teaching strategies. A 2015 survey of SFF alums provided further data about fellows’ leadership in campus sustainability initiatives and their needs related to implementation of UVM’s new sustainability general education requirement. The paper concludes with reflections on the stages of leadership development generated through faculty engagement in sustainability curricular initiatives.
Physiological Demands during Construction Work

Notwithstanding the use of earthmoving equipment, cranes, and other machinery, physically strenuous and demanding tasks remain endemic to the construction industry. This research was motivated by t...
Gamma irradiation of polytetrafluoroethylene in chlorine

Films of polytetrafluoroethylene, irradiated in halogen atmospheres, decrease in ultimate tensile strength and elongation at break almost as rapidly as in oxygen. The rate of degradation is approximately independent of chlorine pressure down to about 1 mm Hg. The phenomena can be explained semi-quantitatively in terms of first order, cage reactions of scission, recombination, and reaction with chlorine, complicated by diffusion at low pressures. However, all reaction and diffusion parameters must shift with gradual increase of crystallinity. For a given decrease of elongation at break, polytetrafluoroethylene irradiated in a vacuum retains a relatively higher ultimate tensile strength. In the copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene and hexafluoropropylene, the changes in ultimate tensile strength and elongation at break are much slower under all conditions. Both polytetrafluoroethylene and the copolymer retain appreciable tensile strength but little elongation up to a dose of 2 x 108r.
Preparation and Characterization of Cross-Linked Phospholipid Bilayer Capillary Coatings for Protein Separations

Analysis of protein and peptide mixtures via capillary electrophoresis is hindered by non-specific adsorption of analytes to the capillary walls, resulting in poor separations and quantitative reproducibility. Phospholipid bilayer (PLB) coatings are very promising for improving protein and peptide separations due to the native resistance to non-specific protein adsorption offered by PLBs; however, these coatings display limited chemical and temporal stability. Here, we show the preparation and characterization of a highly cross-linked, polymerized phospholipid capillary coating prepared using bis-SorbPC. Poly(bis-SorbPC) PLB coatings are prepared in situ within fully enclosed fused silica capillaries via self assembly and radical polymerization. Polymerization of the PLB coating stabilizes the membrane against desorption from the surface and migration in an electric field, improves the temporal and chemical stability, and allows for the separation of both cationic and anionic proteins, while preserving the native resistance to non-specific protein adsorption of natural PLBs.
Motion-driven concatenative synthesis of cloth sounds

We present a practical data-driven method for automatically synthesizing plausible soundtracks for physics-based cloth animations running at graphics rates. Given a cloth animation, we analyze the deformations and use motion events to drive crumpling and friction sound models estimated from cloth measurements. We synthesize a low-quality sound signal, which is then used as a target signal for a concatenative sound synthesis (CSS) process. CSS selects a sequence of microsound units, very short segments, from a database of recorded cloth sounds, which best match the synthesized target sound in a low-dimensional feature-space after applying a hand-tuned warping function. The selected microsound units are concatenated together to produce the final cloth sound with minimal filtering. Our approach avoids expensive physics-based synthesis of cloth sound, instead relying on cloth recordings and our motion-driven CSS approach for realism. We demonstrate its effectiveness on a variety of cloth animations involving various materials and character motions, including first-person virtual clothing with binaural sound.
Multilevel nanoscale DOE optimization, fabrication, and replication

In this paper, we employ a wavelet-based electromagnetic optimization algorithm to enhance multilevel diffractive lens performance. As we show in this paper, the optimized performance and iteration time is very much a function of the initial lens profile. To demonstrate this we analyze various types of initial profiles ranging from scalar-based lenses to flat and random structures. Additionally, we characterize the performance of replicated multilevel lenses fabricated using a soft lithographic technique known as nanoimprint lithography ( NIL) . Experimentalresults are presented.
An analysis of dynamic page placement on a NUMA multiprocessor

The class of NUMA (nonuniform memory access time) shared memory architectures is becoming increasingly important with the desire for larger scale multiprocessors. In such machines, the placement and movement of code and data are crucial to performance. The operating system can play a role in managing placement through the policies and mechanisms of the virtual memory subsystem. In this paper, we develop an analytic model of memory system performance of a Local/Remote NUMA architecture based on approximate mean-value analysis techniques. The model assumes that a simple workload model based on a few parameters can often provide insight into the general behavior of real applications. The model is validated against experimental data obtained with the DUnX operating system kernel for the BBN GP1000 while running a synthetic workload. The results of this validation show that in general, model predictions are quite good, though in some cases the model fails to include the effect of unexpected behaviors in the implementation. Experiments investigate the effectiveness of dynamic multiple-copy page placement. We investigate the cost of incorrect policy decisions by introducing different percentages of policy error and measuring their effect on performance.
On the evidence for “anterior dental cutting” in Laetoli Hominids

Detailed examination of Laetoli Hominid 14 suggests that recent description of a unique C/P3 cutting mechanism for A. afarensis is incorrect.
Appendix—Much Ado About Nothing

Make your will one! Don’t listen with your ears, listen with your mind. No, don’t listen with your mind, but listen with your spirit. Listening stops with the ears, the mind stops with recognition,...
Ultrasonic comb transducer for smart materials

Installation of a small multi-element comb type ultrasonic transducer is proposed as a component of a smart structure. It can be used in either an active or passive mode in carrying out ultrasonic bulk or guided wave nondestructive evaluation. Theoretical methods are developed and experimental results are presented for guided wave generation and mode control with this very efficient and versatile novel comb type ultrasonic transducer. Excitation and probe design is crucial in mode selection. The comb transducer generates waves that are influenced by such parameters as number of elements, spacing between elements, dimension, pulsing sequence, and pressure distribution. The excited elastic field depends on the excitation frequency, plate thickness, and elastic properties. Techniques are studied to optimize the applied loading and the comb transducer design parameters so that only modes that are most sensitive to particular material characteristics can be generated. Complete understanding of the comb transducer parameters and their impact on the elastic field allows us to efficiently generate higher order modes as well as low phase velocity modes which are valuable in composite material characterization. Sample experiments are presented for various plate and tube like structures.
Remedies and the CISG: Another Perspective

In this brief comment, I apply behavioral decision theory to the question of the enforcement in transnational sales of super-compensatory agreed damages. I conclude that a good case can be made that such damages provisions should be enforced.
Patient Perception of Comorbid Conditions After Acoustic Neuroma Management: Survey Results From the Acoustic Neuroma Association

Objectives/Hypothesis: Based on survey results of the Acoustic Neuroma Association, the patient ratings of the most difficult aspects of acoustic neuroma management were reported and a review of the literature was made regarding comorbid conditions associated with acoustic neuroma treatment and their impact on patient quality of life. Study Design: Cohort study of 1940 patients who were members of the Acoustic Neuroma Association. Methods: A detailed questionnaire was mailed to 2372 members of the Acoustic Neuroma Association to identify preoperative and postoperative symptoms, complications, and long-term effects on physical and psychosocial function. For 1940 respondents (81.8%) who reported the most difficult aspect of the AN [acoustic neuroma] experience, the responses were analyzed by tumor size, surgical approach, and patient age and sex. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software. Results: Respondents reported that the most difficult aspect of the acoustic neuroma experience was hearing loss (25.8%), followed by facial weakness (17.9%), eye problems (10.8%), and headache (10.5%). In order of frequency, men reported hearing loss, balance problems, perioperative surgical experience, and eye and facial weakness, and women reported hearing loss, facial weakness, eye problems, and headache. Facial weakness was a morbidity more often reported for men and women who had large tumors, who were young, or who had undergone the retrosigmoid approach. Balance dysfunction was significant in patients older than 75 years of age. In patients with small tumors, headaches and balance problems were frequently reported. Conclusion: In the large cohort study of patients with acoustic neuroma, perceptions regarding the impact of treatment illustrated why it is incumbent on physicians to understand the sentiments of patients with acoustic neuroma when counseling them and recommending optimal management strategies.
Pathways from Earlier Marijuana Use in the Familial and Non-Familial Environments to Self-Marijuana Use in the Fourth Decade of Life

We examined the longitudinal pathways from marijuana use in the familial environment (parents and siblings) and non-familial environment (peers and significant other), throughout adolescence and young adulthood, to the participants' own marijuana use in their fourth decade of life (n = 586). Longitudinal pathways to marijuana use were assessed using structural equation modeling. Familial factors were mediated by non-familial factors; sibling marijuana use also had a direct effect on the participants' marijuana use. In the non-familial environment, significant other marijuana use had only a direct effect, while peer marijuana use had direct as well as indirect effects on the participants' marijuana use. Results illustrate the importance of both modeling and selection effects in contributing to marijuana use. Regarding prevention and treatment, this study suggests the need to consider aspects of familial and non-familial social environments.
Arbitrary three-dimensional micro-fabrication by polymer grayscale lithography

We report on the continuing development of a grayscale lithography technique based on the use of a polymeric grayscale photomask. Arbitrary three-dimensional (3D) microstructures can be realized in positive and negative photoresist materials by the use of the polymeric grayscale photomask with standard ultra-violet (UV) lithography. The fabrication of such 3D structures depends on the differential absorption of in photo-absorbing material. The photomask is made of patterned polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) polymer doped with a UV absorbing laser dye. The PDMS photomask contains micro-patterns made by micro-molding the PDMS on a complementary silicon master mold. By adjusting the thickness of the patterns on the polymer photomask, the dopant dye concentration in the photomask and UV exposure dose, a multitude of unique 3D microstructures can be fabricated on the substrate with desired geometries and dimensions. While the feasibility of grayscale lithography with such a polymeric mask has been reported by us earlier, this paper describes the fabrication of master mold and polymeric grayscale photomask.
Conservation of the hypersensitivity-pathogenicity regulatory gene hrpX of Xanthomonas campestris and X. oryzae

The hrpX gene is essential for pathogenicity of Xanthomonas species. Loss of hrpX by mutation results in the loss of pathogenicity and a gain in the ability of Xanthomonas to cause the hypersensitive response in their respective host plants, suggesting that hrpX confers a means to evade this host defense response. The function of HrpX protein was predicted by sequencing of hrpXc and hrpXo from X. campestris pv. campestris and X. oryzae, respectively. The predicted amino acid sequences of the protein encoded by these respective genes revealed similarities (45.96%) to the HrpB protein of Burkholderia solanacearum, which has sequence identity to the transcriptional activator VirF of Yersinia enterocolitica and AraC of Escherichia coli. Thus, HrpX may regulate Xanthomonas virulence genes since a putative DNA binding domain present in the carboxyl terminal half of HrpX is highly conserved among HrpB, VirF and AraC and since over-expression of the carboxyl terminal half of HrpX in E. coli is lethal.
Representation of contractively complemented Hilbertian operator spaces on the Fock space

The operator spaces H k n , 1 < k < n, generalizing the row and column Hilbert spaces, and arising in the authors' previous study of contractively complemented subspaces of C*-algebras, are shown to be homogeneous and completely isometric to a space of creation operators on a subspace of the anti-symmetric Fock space. The completely bounded Banach-Mazur distance from H k n to a row or column space is explicitly calculated.
Sexual strategies theory and Internet personal advertisements.

Sexual Strategies Theory supposes that certain characteristics—namely, physical attractiveness in women and dominance and the ability to provide material resources in men—are highly desirable to po...
Issues BSW Interns Experience in Their First Semester's Practicum

Abstract This paper explores issues experienced by BSW interns in their first-semester practicum. Content analysis is applied to analyze twenty-three students' final papers. The results show first-semester BSW interns: (1) worried about lack of confidence and/or skills in working with particular client groups; (2) often internalized clients' problems; (3) were concerned about agency climate and its implications; and (4) emphasized the need for availability of the field instructor and a structured supervision. Supplemented with literature, this paper examines possible differences between BSW and MSW interns regarding these four issues. This paper offers strategies to help first-semester BSW interns.
Thermal properties and passband improvement of high index contrast micro-ring resonator by phase error correction

Thermal properties of individual device parameter of high index contrast (HIC) lattice micro-ring resonators were studied for the first time using our phase error measurement. Improvement of passband by fine-tuning was also demonstrated. (2 pages)
Automated Fuel Cell Stack Assembly: Lessons in Design-for-Manufacture

Within the next decade, proton-exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell technology will need to progress from low-volume to high-volume production. The second of two fully-functional fuel cell stack assembly robotic stations is being developed to meet the requirements for this transition; meanwhile, a fuel cell stack is being modified to ease the challenges of automated assembly. This document outlines the most recent iteration of the robotic fuel cell assembly station, challenges encountered, stack design features which impair automation efforts, stack modifications and their impact on assembly success, and a methodology for designing successful stacks in tomorrow’s automated assembly plants. Numerous design aspects of the stack, intended for manual assembly, proved challenging for robotic assembly: in particular, those pertaining to component tolerances, stack compliance, fasteners, environmental requirements, overall stack alignment, MEA handling, and part alignment verification. Each of these challenges was addressed during the refinement of the second robotic station, in many cases via modification of the stack. Nonetheless, each of these factors represents a continuing liability, both in cost and time, to rapid, accurate, reliable stack assembly. Methodology for incorporating these critical design-for-manufacture considerations into future stack designs is therefore addressed as well. As the stack assembly workcell continues to improve, research will focus upon further stack redesign specifically to optimize fuel cell manufacturing throughput.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
The La Paz Agreement 30 Years On

On August 14, 1983, the United States and Mexico signed the landmark United States–Mexico Agreement on Cooperation for the Protection and Improvement of the Environment in the Border Area, better known as the La Paz Agreement, which remains the keystone agreement for bilateral cooperation on environmental protection in the border zone. This article reviews the agreement’s history and achievements, with particular emphasis on the post–North American Free Trade Agreement environmental cooperation programs and its influence on other joint agencies with environmental mandates in the border region. It then reviews more recent implementation developments and reflects on political conditions shaping La Paz implementation. It concludes noting that the La Paz Agreement affirms the importance of certain institutional design principles for successful international environmental institutions and arguing for strengthening binational commitment to the La Paz Agreement.
Experimental evaluation of a subsonic Ludwieg tube

Subsonic Ludwieg /simple expansion/ tube as shock tube for aerodynamic testing, examining flow characteristics
Digital analysis of perturbed angular correlations

Abstract When applying perturbed angular correlation methods to isomeric levels with half-lives longer than 10−6 s the limitations of the conventional time-differential technique can be overcome by digital analysis of perturbed angular correlations (DAPAC). This method consists of digitalized recording of the time spectrum and a subsequent Fourier analysis of it. The power of this method is demonstrated by an accurate determination of the g-factor of the 74.8 keV state in 100Rh, which gives g = +2.160 ± 0.004 for a Rh metal source. With a Knight shift correction of +0.43% the final g-factor is g = +2.151 ± 0.004.
The Ketogenic Diet

The ketogenic diet is a spe- cialized diet used primarily to control or reduce seizure activity in pediatric patients. The diet relies on altering the carbohydrate and fat content of food intake and is managed by a multidis- ciplinary team comprising physicians, dietitians, nurses, and pharmacists.
Fragment-based substrate activity screening method for the identification of potent inhibitors of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis phosphatase PtpB.

A new substrate-based fragment approach for the identification of novel PTP inhibitors is presented. This method was applied to Mycobacterium tuberculosis PtpB, a promising new target for the treatment of tuberculosis. This resulted in the development of the most potent PtpB inhibitor reported to date (0.22 μM) with low molecular weight and good selectivity against a panel of other protein tyrosine phosphatases.
Ursane triterpenoids from the bark of Terminalia arjuna

Five ursane type triterpene glucosyl esters including a new one, 2alpha,3beta-dihydroxyurs-12,18-dien-28-oic acid 28-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl ester (1) were isolated from the bark of Terminalia arjuna, along with two known phenolic compounds. It is the first report of ursane type triterpenoids from this species.
Genic control of the postembryonic development of Nippostrongylus brasiliensis

Abstract 1. 1. Large numbers of the free-living stages of Nippostrongylus brasiliensis can be grown synchronously in vitro on formalin-killed Escherchia coli supplemented with cholesterol. 2. 2. Actinomycin-D (AM-D) has a marked inhibitory effect on the post-embryonic development of the worm, which appears to be dosage dependent and is reversible. 3. 3. AM-D inhibits RNA, DNA and protein synthesis of the larvae. 4. 4. Synthesis of the third cuticle is inhibited by treatment of the second-stage larva with AM-D. 5. 5. N. brasiliensis requires RNA, protein and possibly DNA synthesis for continued postembryonic development.