cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The economics of planting and producing biomass from willow ( Salix spp.) living snow fences

Blowing snow adversely affects winter transportation by reducing driver’s visibility, creating icy roads, and depositing snow drifts in the travel lane. Blowing snow is prevalent in snowy and windy climates where landscapes lack sufficient vegetation to trap snow. Maintaining safe driving conditions on roads with blowing snow can be a costly challenge for transportation agencies. Living snow fences (LSFs) are semi-permanent living structures that can reduce blowing and drifting snow and offer environmental benefits, such as carbon sequestration and wildlife habitat. Recently, shrub willow cultivars (Salix spp.) have been evaluated as a potential LSF due to the relative ease of planting, reduction in plant material costs, fast growth, and ability to establish well given proper site preparation, planting techniques and maintenance. To evaluate the potential of willow for LSFs this study analyzes the costs of planting and establishing a willow LSF and the viability of harvesting biomass. This study finds that the costs of planting and establishing a willow LSF is $8.11 m−1 for a two row snow fence. Biomass harvest is prohibitively expensive for the typical willow LSF due to the small scale of production. However, corridor length willow LSFs, in which planting and establishment costs are defrayed due to payments for the transportation benefits, can produce biomass at a cost of $30 dry-Mg−1.
Optimal energy allocation and storage control for distributed estimation with sensor collaboration

In wireless sensor networks with energy harvesting nodes, we study the problem of energy allocation and storage control for distributed estimation with sensor collaboration, where collaboration refers to the act of sharing measurements with neighboring sensors prior to transmission to a fusion center. To jointly design energy allocation and storage control polices, we formulate a nonconvex optimization problem in which the estimation distortion is minimized subject to energy harvesting and storage constraints. We show that the resulting optimization problem contains two special types of nonconvexities: cardinality function and difference of convex functions. By exploiting the problem structure, locally optimal solutions are found via an l1 relaxation and a convex-concave procedure. Numerical experiments are provided to show the effectiveness of our approach.
Relationship Between Background-Culture and Quality of Life in Mongolian Adults

In this search,we studied the relationship between background-culture and quality of life of Mongolian adults.We survied with WHOQOL-brief(Mongolian),and did the field investigation at Mingantu Town in Qagan Nur,Bairin Youqi in Chifeng,Horqin Youyi in Hingaan and Huhhot.And found that differences of background-culture results the difference of QOL.
Inclusive Cities for Intercultural Communities. European Experiences

Abstract Multiculturalism is an emerging issue in research and in the political agenda, especially with regard to the recent migratory waves in Europe. The pivotal role of urban policies in intercultural integration has been increasingly recognized and today cities represent the forefront for improving cultural diversity and social cohesion. Against this background, the paper explores what some cities are doing to be more inclusive, and points out the main challenges that communities are facing in order to provide for equitable outcomes in terms of social and spatial justice. Many initiatives and projects demonstrate the role of bottom-up initiatives and of community engagement. These are often activated by local policies that encourage the work of cross-cutting networks and embody clear visions of land development in an intercultural approach. The local scale represents both a privileged point of view to measure the level of inclusion in contemporary cities and a field for testing multicultural urban project. In this perspective, urban planners can contribute to the identification of the needs of multi-ethnic and multi-cultural groups, thus transforming urban spaces and services for an intercultural local development also through community engagement and participation in regeneration processes.
Higher Body Mass Index Increases Risk of HeartMate II Pump Thrombosis But Does Not Adversely Affect Long-Term Survival

BACKGROUND Obesity has been correlated with various adverse events in patients who receive left ventricular assist devices (LVAD). In this study, we sought to further characterize the role of obesity in this patient population.Methods and Results:We performed a retrospective analysis of 164 patients implanted with a HeartMate II from August 2008 to December 2014. Patients were categorized into 2 BMI groups based on WHO guidelines: BMI 18.5-30 kg/m2(n=99) and BMI >30 kg/m2(n=65). Patient demographics, adverse outcome and long-term survival were compared between the 2 groups. For any outcome associated with BMI groups, we performed a Cox regression to identify confounding comorbidities. Preoperative demographics and comorbidities were similar. Patients with BMI >30 were younger (P=0.01) and had a higher incidence of type 2 diabetes (P=0.01). While rate of pump thrombosis was higher among patients with BMI >30 (P=0.02), overall survival at 2 years did not differ. The most common cause of death was hemorrhagic stroke in the obese group. On multivariable cox regression analysis, BMI was an independent risk factor of pump thrombosis. CONCLUSIONS Higher BMI does not reduce survival after VAD implantation but it does appear to increase the risk of pump thrombosis. Further studies to characterize the role of BMI in survival and thrombosis rates are warranted.
Innocent Weapons: The Soviet and American Politics of Childhood in the Cold War

Innocent Weapons transported me back to my childhood. I am a classic baby boomer, a product of the Cold War. Born in 1952 to an anti-communist World War II veteran and a sheltered homemaker, I grew...
Revisiting Clegg Integrators: Periodicity, Stability and IQCs

Abstract In this work, we consider control systems utilizing so-called Clegg integrators. A Clegg integrator is a linear integrator with reset mechanism whose describing function -38.1° has magnitude slope equivalent to that of a linear integrator, but with 52° less of phase lag. The potential advantages of using Clegg integrators has been demonstrated in the literature via simulations. However, except for describing function analysis, stability criteria specifically tailored to these feedback systems is missing. To address this omission we take two approaches by seeking to establish periodic behavior of the Clegg integrator’s reset action. In the second, we model the Clegg Integrator by a so-called Integral Quadratic Constraint (IQC). Both cases lead to stability criteria.
6.622 – The Effect of Substrate Microtopography on Osseointegration of Titanium Implants

Implants interact with their environment through mesenchymal cells, which differentiate to osteoblasts. The interaction of cells with the implant is mediated by specific integrin receptors and includes their interrelationship with the microtopographical features of their substrate. Studies using mesenchymal and osteoblast-like cells indicate that proliferation, differentiation, and local factor production, as well as the response to local and systemic hormones, and mechanical and biophysical regulatory factors, are sensitive to substrate microstructural features. The nature of the response varies with the cell model examined and the stage of cell maturation. While it is evident that substrate microarchitecture affects many cell types in culture, the clinical significance of these in vitro observations to the success of dental implants is less clear. This chapter provides an overview of in vitro work and places it in the context of studies designed to test the importance of specific surface microtopographies clinically.
Single-arm, neoadjuvant, phase II trial of pertuzumab and trastuzumab administered concomitantly with weekly paclitaxel followed by 5-fluoruracil, epirubicin, and cyclophosphamide (FEC) for stage I-III HER2-positive breast cancer.

The purpose of this two-cohort Phase II trial was to estimate the pathologic complete response (pCR: ypT0/is ypN0) rate when trastuzumab plus pertuzumab are administered concurrently during both the taxane and anthracycline phases of paclitaxel and 5-fluorouracil/epirubicin/cyclophosphamide (FEC) neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The pCR rates were assessed separately in hormone receptor (HR) positive and negative cases following Simon’s two-stage design, aiming to detect a 20% absolute improvement in pCR rates from 50 to 70 and 70 to 90% in the HR-positive and HR-`negative cohorts, respectively. The HR-negative cohort completed full accrual of 26 patients; pCR rate was 80% (95% CI 60–91%). The HR+ cohort was closed early after 24 patients due to lower than expected pCR rate of 26% (95% CI 13–46%) at interim analysis. Overall, 44% of patients (n = 22/50) experienced grade 3/4 adverse events. The most common were neutropenia (n = 10) and diarrhea (n = 7). There was no symptomatic heart failure, but 28% (n = 14) had ≥ 10% asymptomatic decrease in LVEF; in one patient, LVEF decreased to < 50%. Cardiac functions returned to baseline by the next assessment in 57% (8/14) of cases. Eighty percent of HR-negative, HER2-positive breast cancers achieve pCR with paclitaxel/FEC neoadjuvant chemotherapy administered concomitantly with pertuzumab and trastuzumab. These results are similar to pCR rates seen in trials using HER2-targeted therapy during the taxane phase only of sequential taxane–anthracycline regimens and suggest that we have reached a therapeutic plateau with HER2-targeted therapies combined with chemotherapy in the neoadjuvant setting.
Injectable hyaluronic acid based microrods provide local micromechanical and biochemical cues to attenuate cardiac fibrosis after myocardial infarction.

Repairing cardiac tissue after myocardial infarction (MI) is one of the most challenging goals in tissue engineering. Following ischemic injury, significant matrix remodeling and the formation of avascular scar tissue significantly impairs cell engraftment and survival in the damaged myocardium. This limits the efficacy of cell replacement therapies, demanding strategies that reduce pathological scarring to create a suitable microenvironment for healthy tissue regeneration. Here, we demonstrate the successful fabrication of discrete hyaluronic acid (HA)-based microrods to provide local biochemical and biomechanical signals to reprogram cells and attenuate cardiac fibrosis. HA microrods were produced in a range of physiological stiffness and shown to degrade in the presence of hyaluronidase. Additionally, we show that fibroblasts interact with these microrods in vitro, leading to significant changes in proliferation, collagen expression and other markers of a myofibroblast phenotype. When injected into the myocardium of an adult rat MI model, HA microrods prevented left ventricular wall thinning and improved cardiac function at 6 weeks post infarct.
Recombination activity of threading dislocations in GaInP influenced by growth temperature

Room-temperature non-radiative recombination is studied at single dislocations in Ga0.5In0.5P quantum wells grown on metamorphic templates using cathodoluminescence and electron channeling contrast imaging. An analysis of the light emission intensity profiles around single dislocations reveals that the average recombination strength of a dislocation decreases by a factor of four and seven as a result of decreasing growth temperature of the GaInP quantum well from 725 to 675 and 625 °C, respectively. This reduction occurs despite little change in the diffusion length, precluding the prospect of inducing carrier localization by ordering and phase separation in GaInP at lower growth temperatures. These observations are rationalized by the premise that point defects or impurities are largely responsible for the recombination activity of dislocations, and the extent of decoration of the dislocation core decreases with temperature. Preliminary evidence for the impact of the Burgers vector is also presented. The...
Abstract 127: Untreated Hypertension After Intracerebral Hemorrhage

Objective: We previously reported that 46.9% of acute intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) patients had untreated hypertension (HTN) on admission. We sought to investigate the prevalence of untreated HTN...
Atomic structure of a rationally engineered gene delivery vector, AAV2.5.

Abstract AAV2.5 represents the first structure-guided in-silico designed Adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene delivery vector. This engineered vector combined the receptor attachment properties of AAV serotype 2 (AAV2) with the muscle tropic properties of AAV1, and exhibited an antibody escape phenotype because of a modified antigenic epitope. To confirm the design, the structure of the vector was determined to a resolution of 2.78 A using cryo-electron microscopy and image reconstruction. The structure of the major viral protein (VP), VP3, was ordered from residue 219 to 736, as reported for other AAV structures, and the five AAV2.5 residues exchanged from AAV2 to AAV1, Q263A, T265 (insertion), N706A, V709A, and T717N, were readily interpretable. Significantly, the surface loops containing these residues adopt the AAV1 conformation indicating the importance of amino acid residues in dictating VP structure.
Kinetics and pathways for nitrosamine formation in amino acid-based carbon dioxide capture systems

Abstract Amino acids are emerging as alternative solvents for absorption-based CO2 capture, but their potential to form the harmful byproducts nitrosamines is not well understood. This study investigated the formation of nitrosamines from model amino acids sarcosine, proline, and taurine under desorber- and absorber-relevant conditions. Special attention was paid to the effects of base and the formation of volatile nitrosamines. Under simulated desorber conditions, all three amino acid solvents with organic base monoethanolamine (MEA) formed more total nitrosamines than those with inorganic base sodium hydroxide (NaOH). Increasing base concentration decreased the formation of N-nitrososarcosine (NSAR) in both NaOH- and MEA-based sarcosine solvents. By measuring NSAR formation under varying base concentration and CO2 loading, it was shown that both sarcosine carbamic acid (SARCOOH) and deprotonated sarcosine (SAR−) contributed to NSAR formation. Volatile nitrosamine N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) was detected in sarcosine solvents at levels three orders of magnitude lower than NSAR. Kinetic modeling showed that 61%–110% of the accumulated NDMA was formed through NSAR decomposition. NDMA formation from NSAR was promoted by increasing MEA concentration, but suppressed by increasing NaOH concentration. Under simulated absorber conditions, NaOH- and MEA-based solvents formed total nitrosamines at similar rates for sarcosine, proline, and taurine. In sarcosine solvents, NDMA formed at levels three orders of magnitude lower than NSAR, similar to that under desorber conditions.
Trust and Transitivity: How Trust-Transfer Works

Transitivity in trust is very often considered as a quite simple property, trivially inferable from the classical transitivity defined in mathematics, logic, or grammar. In fact the complexity of the trust notion suggests evaluating the relationships with the transitivity in a more adequate way. In this paper, starting from a socio-cognitive model of trust, we analyze the different aspects and conceptual frameworks involved in this relation and show how different interpretations of these concepts produce different solutions and definitions of trust transitivity.
Internal and Flanking Sequence from AFLP Fragments Using Ligation-Mediated Suppression PCR

Amplification fragment-length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis has proven to be a powerful tool for developing a large number of reliable genetic markers across a wide variety of organisms. Often it is desirable to further characterize these markers by obtaining internal and flanking sequence information. Here, we present a systematic approach for obtaining such information from AFLP markers. AFLP fragments can be isolated from dried polyacryamide sequencing gels (that have been stored for extended periods of time), amplified using PCR and subjected to sequence analysis. Outwardly oriented locus-specific primers are designed from the internal sequence and used in conjunction with adapter primers to amplify unknown regions that flank the internal sequence from up to 22 different restriction-ligation (R-L) reactions. This often results in multiple reactions yielding products of appropriate size and specificity for direct sequencing without the need for a nested PCR, extensive gel purification or subcloning. The detailed protocol is presented with PCR results from a variable AFLP fragment from Bacillus anthracis.
Extrusion of Rubber and Plastics

The purposes of this chapter are multiple: to describe the geometry and operation of extrusion equipment, to analyze its operation through mathematical models, to organize and review the extrusion literature, and to provide useful information for the operation and design of extrusion lines.
Sensory and Other Neural Traits and the Adaptationist Program: Mackerels of San Marco?

Comparative biologists normally use two principles, phylogeny and adaptation, to explain the origin and maintenance of patterns of organic diversity. That is to say, we believe that organisms and their traits change through time and that these changes are the result of complex interactions between traits and various environmental pressures (natural selection). Not surprisingly, many biologists view Darwin’s scientific explanation of trait design as the greatest triumph of his theory of natural selection. The emergence and maintenance of the form and function of a given trait by natural selection may, however, be one of the most complex biological phenomena to demonstrate.
Radiative signatures of plasmoid-dominated reconnection in blazar jets

The multi-wavelength spectral and temporal variability observed in blazars set tight constraints on current theoretical emission models. Here, we investigate the relativistic magnetic reconnection process as a source of blazar emission in which quasi-spherical plasmoids, containing relativistic particles and magnetic fields, are associated with the emission sites in blazar jets. By coupling recent two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations of relativistic reconnection with a time-dependent radiative transfer code, we compute the non-thermal emission from a chain of plasmoids formed during a reconnection event. The derived photon spectra display characteristic features observed in both BL Lac sources and flat spectrum radio quasars, with the distinction made by varying the strength of the external photon fields, the jet magnetization, and the number of pairs per proton contained within. Light curves produced from reconnection events are composed of many fast and powerful flares that appear on excess of a slower evolving envelope produced by the cumulative emission of medium-sized plasmoids. The observed variability is highly dependent upon the orientation of the reconnection layer with respect to the blazar jet axis and to the observer. Our model provides a physically motivated framework for explaining the multi-timescale blazar variability across the entire electromagnetic spectrum.
Application of Functional Safety in Autonomous Vehicles Using ISO 26262 Standard: A Survey

Currently there is extensive research and investments in safety technologies, such as ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) for enabling road vehicles to become intelligent and safer, thus making them detect and prevent possible accidents, assist the driver in changing lanes efficiently and making more accurate turns. Almost every automotive company is researching and developing autonomous vehicles. This huge amount of investment in terms of money and efforts might soon make self-driving vehicles a reality and we might start seeing autonomous and non-autonomous vehicles running together on the road. Along with the perks of these autonomous vehicles, some new risks are also introduced into the vehicle and road safety. The ISO 26262 is a standard that deals with the functional safety of the E/E (Electric and Electronic) components of a road vehicle. As of now, there is no such standard that directly applies to the functional safety of autonomous vehicles and hence, many researchers have tried to use this ISO 26262 standard as a guideline for developing software/hardware models for making autonomous vehicles compatible to the functional safety standards. This paper provides an overview of some of these methods or techniques by which functional safety can be introduced in autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles.
Poisoning and Toxicity: The New Age

This case serves to help navigate providers through the steps of managing the critically ill, hypotensive, bradycardic toxicologic patient.
Cannabis as conundrum

Abstract Cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.) is the genus name for plants that include numerous species, but can be separated broadly into two classes of plants: industrial hemp and marijuana. Despite clear differences in desirable traits, hemp and marijuana appear to readily interbreed making it difficult to legally separate the two species. The current regulatory and legal system in the U.S. is convoluted, confusing, and impractical with the federal government considering all Cannabis a Schedule 1 drug and thus handcuffing itself from all further necessary policy in terms of end use differentiating, pesticide regulation, and product safety development. Additionally, state governments have moved forward with Cannabis legislation and without federal oversight have many different interpretation of the law. Current discrepancies among state laws and between federal drug legislation pose a dilemma in how pesticide use in Cannabis production can be addressed. A working regulatory system for agricultural pesticides requires interactions between producers, state and federal government, and third-party testing laboratories, along with educational programs to train growers appropriate best management and pest management practices for their business model.
III-V/Si tandem cell to module interconnection - comparison between different operation modes

III-V/Si tandem solar cells have the potential to surpass the theoretical efficiency limit of silicon solar cells. On the cell level it was shown at this conference that three-terminal tandem (3T) devices consisting of III-V top and Si bottom cell perform as well as operating the subcells independently. However, integrating these 3T devices in a module requires voltage matching of the top and the bottom cell. Here we investigate the robustness of 3T III-V/Si tandem devices in comparison with independently operated and current matched two terminal devices with respect to spectral and thermal effects. Under most conditions, interconnected voltage matched devices are able to perform as well as those with independent operation of the top and bottom cell, and prove that 3T devices significantly outperform current matched devices.
Anterior Cruciate Ligament Graft Conditioning Required to Prevent an Abnormal Lachman and Pivot Shift After ACL Reconstruction: A Robotic Study of 3 ACL Graft Constructs.

Background:Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) graft conditioning protocols to decrease postoperative increases in anterior tibial translation and pivot-shift instability have not been established.Pur...
Expression of enzymatically active, recombinant barley alpha-glucosidase in yeast and immunological detection of alpha-glucosidase from seed tissue.

An α-glucosidase cDNA clone derived from barley aleurone tissue was expressed in Pichia pastoris and Escherichia coli. The gene was fused with the N-terminal region of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae α-factor secretory peptide and placed under control of the Pichia AOX1 promoter in the vector pPIC9. Enzymatically active, recombinant α-glucosidase was synthesized and secreted from the yeast upon induction with methanol. The enzyme hydrolyzed maltose > trehalose > nigerose > isomaltose. Maltase activity occurred over the pH range 3.5–6.3 with an optimum at pH 4.3, classifying the enzyme as an acid α-glucosidase. The enzyme had a Km of 1.88 mM and Vmax of 0.054 µmol/min on maltose. The recombinant α-glucosidase expressed in E. coli was used to generate polyclonal antibodies. The antibodies detected 101 and 95 kDa forms of barley α-glucosidase early in seed germination. Their levels declined sharply later in germination, as an 81 kDa α-glucosidase became prominent. Synthesis of these proteins also occurred in isolated aleurones after treatment with gibberellin, and this was accompanied by a 14-fold increase in α-glucosidase enzyme activity. Abbreviations: AGL, barley seed α-glucosidase; rAGL, recombinant barley seed α-glucosidase; BMGY, buffered glycerol-complex medium; BMMY, buffered methanol-complex medium; GA, gibberellic acid; UTR, untranslated region.
Selective C-F Functionalization of Unactivated Trifluoromethylarenes.

Fluorinated organic molecules are pervasive within the pharmaceutical and agrochemical industries due to the range of structural and physicochemical properties that fluorine imparts. Currently, the most abundant methods for the synthesis of the aryl–CF2 functionality have relied on the deoxyfluorination of ketones and aldehydes using expensive and poorly atom economical reagents. Here, we report a general method for the synthesis of aryl–CF2R and aryl–CF2H compounds through activation of the corresponding trifluoromethyl arene precursors. This strategy is enabled by an endergonic electron transfer event that provides access to arene radical anions that lie outside of the catalyst reduction potential. Fragmentation of these reactive intermediates delivers difluorobenzylic radicals that can be intercepted by abundant alkene feedstocks or a hydrogen atom to provide a diverse array of difluoalkylaromatics.
Deciphering Galileo: Communication and Secrecy before and after the Trial

Galileo participated in exchanges of encrypted correspondence at key moments in his life. In 1610–11, following the publication of the “Sidereal Messenger,” ciphers helped Galileo to diplomatically reveal what he was observing through his telescope. After his Inquisition trial of 1633, Galileo and his closest allies relied on a substitution code (gergo) to protect the privacy of his conversations and to facilitate the removal of his library and manuscripts at Arcetri. Throughout this article, we position Galileo's use of codes within the rich contemporary literature about communicating securely and reflect on cryptic writing as a strategy of communication and dissimulation.
Socioeconomic disparities in timeliness of care and outcomes for anal cancer patients.

Background Socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with diagnostic and treatment delays and survival in multiple cancers, but less data exist for anal squamous cell carcinoma (ASCC). This study investigated the association between SES and outcomes for patients undergoing definitive chemoradiation therapy for ASCC. Methods One hundred and eleven patients diagnosed with nonmetastatic ASCC between 2005 and 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. Socioeconomic predictor variables included primary payer, race, income, employment, and partnership status. Outcomes included the tumor-node (TN) stage at diagnosis, the duration from diagnosis to treatment initiation, relapse-free survival (RFS), and overall survival (OS). Age, gender, TN stage, and HIV status were analyzed as covariates in survival analysis. Results SES was not associated with the TN stage at diagnosis. SES factors associated with treatment initiation delays were Medicaid payer (P = .016) and single partnership status (P = .016). Compared to privately insured patients, Medicaid patients had lower 2-year RFS (64.4% vs 93.8%, P = .021) and OS (82.9% vs 93.5%, P = .038). Similarly, relative to patients in the racial majority, racial minority patients had lower 2-year RFS (53.3% vs 93.5%, P = .001) and OS (73.7% vs 92.6%, P = .008). Race was an independent predictor for both RFS (P = .027) and OS (P = .047). Conclusions These results highlight the impact of social contextual factors on health. Interventions targeted at socioeconomically vulnerable populations are needed to reduce disparities in ASCC outcomes.
Complete Sternal-Sparing Approach Improves Outcomes for Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation in Patients With History of Prior Sternotomy:

ObjectiveEarly reports of less invasive techniques for left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation have demonstrated promising results. We sought to investigate the safety and feasibility of...
A RARE CASE OF PULMONARY ATRESIA WITH INTACT VENTRICULAR SEPTUM, CONGENITALLY UNGUARDED TRICUSPID VALVE ORIFICE AND MASSIVE RIGHT-SIDED DILATION

We report a rare case of a fetus prenatally diagnosed with pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum (PAIVS) with congenitally unguarded triscupsid valve (TV) orifice and right ventricular (RV) dysplasia) by echocardiogram. A 30 yo woman was referred to our fetal clinic at 23 weeks for
Touring a Holy Land: Symbolic Geography and Travel in Late-Antique Egypt

The study of both pilgrimage and monasticism in late-antique Egypt has long included a notion of sacred geography—of making a land holy. This paper extends this idea to how language about travel and geography shapes particular texts about late-antique monasticism in Egypt for which such topics have been overlooked. Symbolic geography infuses the landscape not simply with holiness but with particular roles in defining a people in relationship to that land. Drawing on the idea that pilgrimage includes travelling to and among the monks for the purpose of instruction, these texts traditionally regarded as “monastic” can be reread as “pilgrimage” texts infused with this symbolic geography. In doing so, it becomes apparent that Egypt as a land is made sacred not simply by the presence of holy monks sanctifying the desert but by the acts of pilgrimage to these men. The accounts of John Cassian and Palladius create the very status of Egypt that they assert is the rationale for their journey. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5913/jcscs.2019.54349299
Results on a Super Strong Exponential Time Hypothesis

All known SAT-solving paradigms (backtracking, local search, and the polynomial method) only yield a 2n(1−1/O(k)) time algorithm for solving k-SAT in the worst case, where the big-O constant is independent of k. For this reason, it has been hypothesized that k-SAT cannot be solved in worst-case 2n(1−f(k)/k) time, for any unbounded ƒ : ℕ → ℕ. This hypothesis has been called the “Super-Strong Exponential Time Hypothesis” (Super Strong ETH), modeled after the ETH and the Strong ETH. We prove two results concerning the Super-Strong ETH:1. It has also been hypothesized that k-SAT is hard to solve for randomly chosen instances near the “critical threshold”, where the clause-to-variable ratio is 2k ln 2 −Θ(1). We give a randomized algorithm which refutes the Super-Strong ETH for the case of random k-SAT and planted k-SAT for any clause-to-variable ratio. In particular, given any random k-SAT instance F with n variables and m clauses, our algorithm decides satisfiability for F in 2n(1−Ω( log k)/k) time, with high probability (over the choice of the formula and the randomness of the algorithm). It turns out that a well-known algorithm from the literature on SAT algorithms does the job: the PPZ algorithm of Paturi, Pudlak, and Zane (1998).2. The Unique k-SAT problem is the special case where there is at most one satisfying assignment. It is natural to hypothesize that the worst-case (exponential-time) complexity of Unique k-SAT is substantially less than that of k-SAT. Improving prior reductions, we show the time complexities of Unique k-SAT and k-SAT are very tightly related: if Unique k-SAT is in 2n(1−f(k)/k) time for an unbounded f, then k-SAT is in 2n(1−f(k)(1−ɛ)/k) time for every ɛ > 0. Thus, refuting Super Strong ETH in the unique solution case would refute Super Strong ETH in general.
Strategies for Datacenters Participating in Demand Response by Two-Stage Decisions

Modern smart grids have proposed a series of demand response (DR) programs and encourage users to participate in them with the purpose of maintaining reliability and efficiency so as to respond to the sustainable development of demand-side management. As a large load of the smart grid, a datacenter could be regarded as a potential demand response participant. Encouraging datacenters to participate in demand response programs can help the grid to achieve better load balancing effect, while the datacenter can also reduce its own power consumption so as to save electricity costs. In this paper, we designed a demand response participation strategy based on two-stage decisions to reduce the total cost of the datacenter while considering the DR requirements of the grid. The first stage determines whether to participate in demand response by predicting real-time electricity prices of the power grid and incentive information will be sent to encourage users to participate in the program to help shave the peak load. In the second stage, the datacenter interacts with its users by allowing users to submit bid information by reverse auction. Then, the datacenter selects the tasks of the winning users to postpone processing them with awards. Experimental results show that the proposed strategy could help the datacenter to reduce its cost and effectively meet the demand response requirements of the smart grid at the same time.
Corrigendum for “Actuator Placement for Symmetric Structural Controllability With Heterogeneous Costs”

In this corrigendum, we provide counterexample for Theorem 3 and 4. The lack of correctness of these results arises from the characterization provided in Lemma 1 in the original manuscript that hereafter properly restated. Lastly, we point how the solution to the heterogeneous cost problem can be obtained.
The Impactful Research Appointment: Combating Research Anxiety and Library Stereotypes

The academic library research appointment provides invaluable benefits to both the academic library and the student, such as improved information literacy skills, trust, and a sense of community. B...
Gadolinium in tears: Evidence for an alternative cerebrospinal fluid absorption pathway in the setting of ischemia-induced blood brain barrier disruption

Abstract Cerebral ischemia results in disruption of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) allowing leakage of gadolinium-based contrast media (GBCM) into cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) within the craniospinal and perineural subarachnoid spaces (SAS). This phenomenon is well visualized with fluid-attenuated inversion recovery MRI techniques and allows for visualization of CSF flow dynamics. We present a case of ischemia-induced BBB disruption resulting in accumulation of GBCM in the SAS and ocular chambers as well as within the precorneal tear film and nasolacrimal duct. We present imaging evidence for a hypothetical alternate CSF absorption pathway through the ocular structures in keeping with prior experimental evidence.
Probing Carrier Transport in Layered Perovskites with Nonlinear Optical and Photocurrent Spectroscopies

Interest in layered perovskite quantum wells is motivated by their potential for use in optoelectronic devices. In these systems, the smallest and largest quantum wells are most concentrated near o...
Linking Genes to Traits in Fungi

Fungi are mediators of the nitrogen and carbon cycles in terrestrial ecosystems. Examining how nitrogen uptake and organic matter decomposition potential differs in fungi can provide insight into the underlying mechanisms driving fungal ecological processes and ecosystem functioning. In this study, we assessed the frequency of genes encoding for specific enzymes that facilitate nitrogen uptake and organic matter decomposition in 879 fungal genomes with fungal taxa grouped into trait-based categories. Our linked gene-trait data approach revealed that gene frequencies vary across and within trait-based groups and that trait-based categories differ in trait space. We present two examples of how this linked gene-trait approach can be used to address ecological questions. First, we show that this type of approach can help us better understand, and potentially predict, how fungi will respond to environmental stress. Specifically, we found that trait-based categories with high nitrogen uptake gene frequency increased in relative abundance when exposed to high soil nitrogen enrichment. Second, by comparing frequencies of nitrogen uptake and organic matter decomposition genes, we found that most ectomycorrhizal fungi in our dataset have similar gene frequencies to brown rot fungi. This demonstrates that gene-trait data approaches can shed light on potential evolutionary trajectories of life history traits in fungi. We present a framework for exploring nitrogen uptake and organic matter decomposition gene frequencies in fungal trait-based groups and provide two concise examples on how to use our framework to address ecological questions from a mechanistic perspective.
Use of high-U hydrothermal apatite containing excess 206Pb to constrain the age of uranium mineralization at the Coles Hill deposit, Virginia, USA

Abstract High-U hydrothermal apatite with complex U Pb systematics is closely spatially associated with mineralization at the Coles Hill deposit, the largest unmined uranium deposit known in the United States. The deposit is hosted in metasomatized rocks of the 450- to 430-Ma-old Martinsville Intrusive Complex in south-central Virginia. Direct dating of metamict uranium-ore minerals, mostly coffinite, is not possible due to open-system radon loss. Instead, U Pb isotopes in cogenetic apatite were investigated as a means of evaluating the age of mineralization. Here we report in situ electron probe microanalyses (EPMA) of coffinite, isotope-dilution thermal-ionization mass spectrometry (ID-TIMS) U Pb data for mineralized whole rock samples, and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICPMS) U Pb isotope data for apatite in both unmineralized and U-mineralized host rocks. Massive deficits in radiogenic Pb preclude reliable U Pb “chemical ages” calculated from EPMA data obtained from coffinite. In contrast, LA-ICPMS data for secondary apatite in unmineralized rocks indicate low-U concentrations (100–102 ppm), “normal” (consistent with models of terrestrial Pb isotopic evolution) initial Pb isotope compositions, and U Pb age estimates of ~330 Ma, which is consistent with dates previously proposed for the regional Paleozoic shear zone that hosts the deposit. Ore-stage apatite associated with coffinite has high-U concentrations (typically 102–103 ppm but up to 2.4 wt% U) and large excesses of 206Pb (207Pb/206Pb Pb dating of hydrothermal apatite. Excess 206Pb in apatite is derived from decay products of 222Rn lost from coffinite and mobilized by Na-, P-, and U-enriched metasomatic fluids during the main mineralizing event at ~230 Ma. Ore-stage alteration did not uniformly reset the U Pb systematics in host rocks precluding a well-constrained whole-rock isochron age. However, whole-rock isotope data imply U mobility at ~200–220 Ma and support a Triassic age for the final stages of mineralization. Results also indicate that apatite with up to several weight percent uranium is able to retain U and its decay products for hundreds of millions of years; an important consideration when assessing this mineral as a potential matrix for long-term storage of radioactive waste.
Isolation of amniotic mesenchymal stem cells.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have the ability to differentiate into osteocytes, chondrocytes, and adipocytes and possess immunomodulatory properties. Amniotic membrane from human term placenta is a potential source of multipotent MSCs that could be useful for regenerative medicine. This unit describes a detailed and simple protocol for the isolation of amniotic mesenchymal cells. We also introduce a simple density separation technique for the purification of this cell type from possible contamination with amniotic epithelial cells. Curr. Protoc. Stem Cell Biol. 12:1E.5.1-1E.5.11. © 2010 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Keywords: placenta; amnion; mesenchymal stem cells; MSC
Two estimators of the mean of a counting process with panel count data

We study two estimators of the mean function of a countingprocess based on “panel count data.” The setting for “panel count data” is one in which $n$ independent subjects, each with a counting process with common mean function, are observed at several possibly different times duringa study. Following a model proposed by Schick and Yu, we allow the number of observation times, and the observation times themselves, to be random variables. Our goal is to estimate the mean function of the counting process. We show that the estimator of the mean function proposed by Sun and Kalbfleisch can be viewed as a pseudo-maximum likelihood estimator when a non-homogeneous Poisson process model is assumed for the counting process. We establish consistency of both the nonparametric pseudo maximum likelihood estimator of Sun and Kalbfleisch and the full maximum likeli- hood estimator, even if the underlying counting process is not a Poisson process.We also derive the asymptotic distribution of both estimators at a fixed time $t$, and compare the resulting theoretical relative efficiency with finite sample relative efficiency by way of a limited Monte-Carlo study.
The effect of symmetry breaking on random walks and brownian motion

Many aspects of the dynamics of random walks and Brownian motion with detailed balance can be understood using techniques of classical and quantum chaos theory. Symmetry breaking coupling between degrees of freedom can lead to mutual repulsion of decay rates and in some cases to a change in the rate of approach to equilibrium.
SU-E-J-161: Quality Assurance of 4DCT Process Using ET Gating Phantom System

Purpose: To develop a robust quality assurance procedure for 4DCT process using ET gating phantom (ET-GPS), to optimize 4DCT scan protocols, and to investigate practical solutions for patients who have difficulties to be scanned with 4DCT. Methods: ET-GPS (BrainLab AB) in conjunction with the marker block is used to test the motion tracking of 4DCT imaging and Real-time Position Management (RPM) system (Varian). Several standard sinusoidal motion profiles as respiratory simulation were used as reference. A maximal motion range of 2.5mm to 16.5mm for horizontal motion (HM) and 6.4mm to 38.0mm for vertical motion (VM), with breathing period time (T) of 3s, 5s, and 7s, were applied to ET-GPS, respectively. 4DCT images were acquired by LightSpeed 16-slice CT simulator (GE Medical System), using our general 4DCT chest imaging protocol (cine, 120kVp, 350mA, 0.8s) with scan thicknesses of 1.25mm and 2.5mm, respectively. Maximal motion ranges obtained from 4DCT imaging were analyzed and compared to the references. Furthermore, acquired trajectory profiles from RPM system were played back to the ETGPS, agreement between 2nd acquired trajectories and reference sinusoidal profiles were analyzed quantitatively. Results: Test results of maximal horizontal motion ranges from 4DCT image agree well with the physical measurement (<3%) when the scan thickness is 1.25mm and with T = 5s or 7s. Motion range discrepancy is up to 13.5% for HM when 2.5mm thick is applied. The VM differences are less than 7%. ET-GPS can reproduce the patient motion profiles very well. Conclusion and discussion: The developed method using ET-GPS is a feasible and efficient way for quality assurance of 4DCT process. Imaging protocols can be further optimized when agreement is out of the expected. Further 4DCT QA procedure with different HU inserts and customized patient breathing profile will be investigated.
Fractional brownian motion and dynamic approach to complexity

The dynamic approach to fractional Brownian motion (FBM) establishes a link between non-Poisson renewal process with abrupt jumps resetting to zero the system's memory and correlated dynamic processes, whose individual trajectories keep a non-vanishing memory of their past time evolution. It is well known that the recrossing times of the origin by an ordinary 1D diffusion trajectory generates a distribution of time distances between two consecutive origin recrossing times with an inverse power law with index μ=1.5. However, with theoretical and numerical arguments, it is proved that this is the special case of a more general condition, insofar as the recrossing times produced by the dynamic FBM generates process with μ=2-H. Later, the model of ballistic deposition is studied, which is as a simple way to establish cooperation among the columns of a growing surface, to show that cooperation generates memory properties and, at same time, non-Poisson renewal events. Finally, the connection between trajectory and density memory is discussed, showing that the trajectory memory does not necessarily yields density memory, and density memory might be compatible with the existence of abrupt jumps resetting to zero the system's memory.
Notes on Carolyn Gallaher’s On the Fault Line

On The Fault Line sets out to challenge academic stereotypes of “them” as “angry white men with guns,” instead emphasizing how patriots are threatened by global economic restructuring, and how they, when scratched, reveal some surprisingly progressive political colors. Gallaher’s refusal to prejudge her subjects, together with her sense of political urgency and self-reflexivity, is exemplary for activist geographers who study the right. Her political vision is less satisfying but still provocative, and opens a discussion around critical questions of praxis.
Histochemical studies of cartilage implants.

The behavior of cartilage transplants and the cellular reaction in the surrounding connective tissue have been studied in rabbits. Costal cartilage was used as a control. Histochemical methods, together with freezing-drying fixation, were used to visualize some tissue components of interest. These included the carbohydrate-protein complexes of the ground substance, inorganic phosphate-carbonate, and intracellular glycogen. Dissolution of the mucoprotein ground substance was observed on the periphery of autografts sixty days after implantation and of costal cartilage of comparable age. In boiled autocartilage implants, a more general and extensive dissolution occurred and this began much earlier. In these instances the changes in the matrix were accompanied by deposition of phosphate-carbonate, presumably as the calcium salt. In vitro experiments in which a bacterial collagenase was used resulted in striking disintegration of boiled cartilage and somewhat lesser changes in non-boiled autocartilage grafts and costal cartilage. In a like manner enzymatic activity by connective-tissue cells could lead to changes in the matrix of implants. The fate of cartilage implants appears to be determined by their inherent physicochemical characteristics and by the connective-tissue reaction which is provoked in the host. Cells of the boiled cartilage implants lost their glycogen early and resynthesis was impossible. In the autografts, evidence for sustained metabolic activity comparable with that in costal cartilage was deduced from the continued presence of intracellular glycogen.