cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impact of an Exhaust Throat on Semi-Idealized Rotating Detonation Engine Performance

A computational fluid dynamic (CFD) model of a rotating detonation engine (RDE) is used to examine the impact of an exhaust throat (i.e., a constriction) on performance. The model simulates an RDE which is premixed, adiabatic, inviscid, and which contains an inlet valve that prevents backflow from the high pressure region directly behind the rotating detonation. Performance is assessed in terms of ideal net specific impulse which is computed on the assumption of lossless expansion of the working fluid to the ambient pressure through a notional diverging nozzle section downstream of the throat. Such a semi-idealized analysis, while not real-world, allows the effect of the throat to be examined in isolation from, rather than coupled to (as it actually is) various loss mechanisms. For the single Mach 1.4 flight condition considered, it is found that the addition of a throat can yield a 9.4 percent increase in specific impulse. However, it is also found that when the exit throat restriction gets too small, an unstable type of operation ensues which eventually leads to the detonation failing. This behavior is found to be somewhat mitigated by the addition of an RDE inlet restriction across which there is an aerodynamic loss. Remarkably, this loss is overcome by the benefits of the further exhaust restrictions allowed. The end result is a configuration with a 10.3 percent improvement in ideal net specific thrust.
Seasonal Abundance of Synanthedon pictipes and S. exitiosa in North Central Florida

The number of lesser peachtree borers, Synanthedon pictipes (Grote and Robinson), captured in 1976 in north central Florida in sticky traps baited with ( E,Z )-3, 13-octadecadien-1-ol acetate increased from 0 in Jan. to ca. 120/trap per week in Feb. and Mar. and remained high and stable through Oct. Populations declined rapidly in Nov. In Jan. 1977, the temperature, which was ca. 2° lower than normal, probably caused the 1st flight of S. pictipes males in the peach and nectarine orchards and woods to be later than in 1975 and 1976; however, populations after Feb. 1977 were comparable to populations in 1975 and 1976. During Apr.–Aug. 1975 low numbers of peachtree borers, Synanthedon (= Sanninoidea ) exitiosa (Say) (0–6/trap per week) were taken in traps baited with ( Z,Z )-3,13-octadecadien-1-ol acetate. In 1976 and 1977, the 1st moths were collected during Apr. and May and peak populations occurred during Sept. and Oct.
Study on HCV infection and HCV viral load in drug users in Changzhou

Objective To understand the HCV infection status of drug users,serum HCV viral load and liver cells injury in anti- HCV positive patients in Changzhou city. Methods In 2012,serum samples from drug users of methadone outpatient service of Changzhou were detected for anti- HCV,anti- HIV antibodies,treponema pallidum antibodies,HCV viral load,ALT and AST. Results The positive rate of HCV in drug users was 64. 76% in Changzhou city. Moreover,anti- HCV absorbance and HCV viral load were positively associated with S / CO,abnormal rates of AST and ALT. Conclusion HCV infection rate is high among drug users in Changzhou city. The HCV infectors were at great risk of liver cell damages,so integrated intervention measures should be adopted to control the spread of HCV among this population.
Power equipment multiple fault diagnosis method based on case reasoning

After analyzing the characteristics of multiple fault modes,the case knowledge database is established for multiple faults,and a multiple fault diagnosis method for electric equipments based on the two-step case retrieval strategy is proposed.The weight membership is employed to generate the initial candidate cases,which reduces the number of candidate cases greatly.Subsequently,the most probable fault case is obtained through the calculation of case similarity with the grey relational analysis,which avoids the problem of time-consuming computation resulting from the combination explosion of multiple faults.Finally,an example is embedded in the description of the methodology for better understanding.
The quality improvement customers didn't want.

Is investing in new technology always the right choice for a company and its customers? Allan Moulter, the CEO of Quality Care, isn't sure he wants to invest in the computerized reception system that consultant Jack Zadow has outlined for him. But in this HBR case study, the argument Zadow makes is impossible to ignore. Quality Care's rivals have invested in similar systems or are planning to do so. The new system promises to take care of routine busywork, freeing staff up for other interactions with patients. It seems as if the competition hasn't even cut staff and is counting on increased customer retention to pay for the investment. And yet, Quality Care's surveys of its own customers show that they prefer the human touch when checking in. How would customers feel if the first ?person? they met when they came in the door turned out to be a machine? Moulter prides himself on his responsiveness to customers. And with 86% of Quality Care's customers either satisfied or completely satisfied, aren't things fine as they are? Has Moulter considered all the facets of his predicament? How will Quality Care's staff be affected by a decision one way or another? What about the costs of upgrading the system? Can Quality Care maintain its standing without going high-tech? Would customers rebel when confronted with the proposed reception area or would they appreciate the increased efficiency? Six experts weigh the costs and benefits of technology in a service industry.
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) Is a Growth and Survival Factor in Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia.

Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia (WM) is a B-cell disorder characterized by excess of bone marrow (BM) IgM secreting lymphoplasmacytic cells (LPC). In previous studies, we and others have demonstrated that VEGF within the BM micro-environment plays a role in the growth, survival and migration of myeloma plasma cells. Conversely, we demonstrated that BM mast cells (MC), which produce and secrete VEGF (Boesiger, J Exp Med, 1998) support growth and survival of WM LPC (Tournilhac et al, JCO2004; 22:517S). In the present studies we therefore explored the role of VEGF in WM pathogenesis. Using RT-PCR analysis, we detected VEGF receptors R1 (Flt-1) and R2 (flk1/KDR) transcripts in sorted LPC from 4/4 (100%) and 15/16 (94%) WM patients respectively. Moreover, we showed functionality for VEGF as a growth and survival factor in WM. Specifically, recombinant human VEGF (rh-VEGF) at 25 ng/ml induced dose dependent proliferation of sorted LPC from WM patients and prevented serum starvation- induced apoptosis. Inhibition of VEGF signaling pathways both induced apoptosis and blocked mast cell- induced proliferation of sorted WM LPCs in 4 of 6 and 4 of 4 patients, respectively. Besides the known MC-derived WM LPC growth and survival factors CD40 ligand (CD40L) (JCO2004; 22;517S) and B-lymphocyte stimulator protein (BLYS) (Ditzel Santos et al, ASH 2004 submitted), the present study demonstrates also a role of VEGF in WM pathogenesis. We therefore suggest VEGF as an additional therapeutic target in WM treatment regimens.
Procedures for Surveillance of Bulk Milk Sampling

Surveillance of methods for collection of raw milk samples and their transmittal to laboratories is essential to the interpretation of laboratory results for official grading purposes. At least 15,000 farm bulk tank truck drivers collect milk samples each day. The accuracy of thermometers and sanitization and/or sterilization of sample transfer instruments, agitators, and containers is important. Agitation of milk, collection of temperature controls and samples, and storage in insulated sample cases, containing a suitable refrigerant during transmittal to the laboratory, are necessary critical operations in collection of representative samples. Accurate records indicating time, date, and temperature at collection must accompany each series of samples. Samples must arrive at the laboratory between 32–40 F (0–4.4 C) and examinations should begin within 36 h after collection. Surveillance of sample collectors is done at least biennially by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved State milk sampling evalu...
Energy-efficient data transfer: Bits vs. atoms

The availability of 10 Gbps, 100 Gbps, and even faster networks makes it feasible to move large quantities of data over networks (i.e., as bits) rather than by shipping physical media (i.e., as atoms). Previous investigations have compared the efficiency of shipping data as atoms or bits from the perspectives of time and money, providing insights into when a budget-or time-sensitive user should prefer a communication or shipping network, or some combination of the two. Here we consider a different type of cost, namely energy. We develop energy cost models for transferring data via both bits and atoms and study costs in real-world settings. We find that it is often much more energy-efficient to transfer data as atoms rather than as bits. For example, in some cases ground shipping can consume up to 57 x less energy than a network transfer. Moreover, compact data storage formats improve the energy efficiency of shipping by orders of magnitude. We also show that minimizing the overall energy cost when choosing between bits vs. atoms can be easily achieved using the classical min-flow problem. Our results suggest that as pressure grows to reduce the energy consumption of information technology, it may become attractive to integrate physical shipping more deeply into our communications infrastructure.
Legal Briefs: Extreme Preterm Birth Complicated by an Intrauterine Device and Profound Hypothermia

A 670-g 23![Formula][1] -week-gestation female infant was born to a gravida 3 para 2 woman at home. The pregnancy was complicated at 10 weeks when an intrauterine device (IUD) was placed. The obstetrician retained by the plaintiff was critical of the IUD placement because the treating obstetrician had not ruled out pregnancy at the time of insertion. The defense obstetrician said pregnancy was ruled out by a negative result on the human chorionic gonadotrophin test. The plaintiff obstetrician pointed out that this test is not sufficiently sensitive early in pregnancy; it cannot detect low levels of β–human chorionic gonadotrophin before a woman has missed her period. He further maintained that the standard of care required the IUD to be placed during menstruation, as the manufacturer's package instructed. The plaintiff obstetrician further pointed out that when pregnancy was determined, the mother should have been classified as high risk because of the presence of the IUD. The treating obstetrical team maintained that they thought that the IUD was probably expulsed because no evidence could be found on any fetal ultrasound scans, thereby making this pregnancy a low-risk one. The mother denied IUD expulsion on every visit and during her deposition. The plaintiff obstetrical expert pointed to the IUD image on all the fetal scans as well as its presence in the placenta at delivery. The mother experienced intermittent cramping and bleeding for 3 weeks before the delivery, but was reassured each time and sent home. The mother visited the hospital 3 times in the 48 hours before delivery because of worsening symptoms. On her last visit, the contractions were every 3 to 5 minutes, but the cervix was long and closed, and the treating obstetrician stated in his deposition that because there was no placental abruption and the cervix was not dilated, … [1]: /embed/mml-math-1.gif
Gray Triggerfish Reproductive Biology, Age, and Growth off the Atlantic Coast of the Southeastern USA

AbstractThe Gray Triggerfish Balistes capriscus supports fisheries on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. We utilized fishery-independent samples to assess the age structure, growth, sex ratio, size and age at maturity, spawning season, and spawning frequency of the Gray Triggerfish population off the southeastern U.S. Atlantic coast. From 1991 to 2012, 7,685 samples were collected, ranging in FL from 82 to 578 mm and ranging in age from 0 to 13 years. Our study provides key life history information for an exploited population and is the first to comprehensively describe age, growth, and reproduction for a Balistes species. We documented that the Gray Triggerfish is sexually dimorphic, with adult males attaining larger sizes at age and a larger maximum size than females. Sex-specific growth curves were fitted, yielding the following von Bertalanffy equations: FLt = 419[1 – e–0.54(t + 0.61)] for males and FLt = 352[1 – e–0.94(t + 0.22)] for females. This species is characterized by a medium size at maturity ...
Growth of Viburnum dentatum and Syringa × prestoniae ‘Donald Wyman’ in Sphagnum Peat and Coir Dust-Based Substrates

Abstract Bare-root viburnum (Viburnum dentatum L.) were grown in 25:0:75, 50:0:50, 75:0:25, 100:0:0, 0:25:75, 0:50:50, 0:75:25, and 0:100:0 peat:coir:sand (by vol) substrates, and Preston lilac (Syringa × prestoniae McKelv. ‘Donald Wyman’) were grown in 25:0:65:10, 50:0:40:10, 75:0:15:10,0:25:65:10, 0:50:40:10, and 0:75:15:10 peat:coir:bark:sand (v/v) substrates over two seasons. After one season of growth, viburnum grown in 25% and 50% coir were taller than plants grown in comparable peat-based substrates, and overall, plants grown in coir-based substrates were taller than plants grown in peat-based substrates. Lilac plants grown in coir-based substrates had similar heights as plants grown in peat-based substrates. After two seasons, viburnum grown in 100% coir had greater plant width than plants grown in 100% peat. No significant difference occurred between plants grown in 25% and 50% peat or coir. No significant difference occurred in shoot fresh mass between viburnum plants grown in coir and peat-base...
Performance modeling and techno-economic analysis of a modular concentrated solar power tower with latent heat storage

Abstract In this paper, we present performance simulations and techno-economic analysis of a modular dispatchable solar power tower. Using a heliostat field and power block three orders of magnitude smaller than conventional solar power towers, our unique configuration locates thermal storage and a power block directly on a tower receiver. To make the system dispatchable, a valved thermosyphon controls heat flow from a latent heat thermal storage tank to a Stirling engine. The modular design results in minimal balance of system costs and enables high deployment rates with a rapid realization of economies of scale. In this new analysis, we combine performance simulations with techno-economic analysis to evaluate levelized cost of electricity, and find that the system has potential for cost-competitiveness with natural gas peaking plants and alternative dispatchable renewables.
East Asian Westerns at/as the Limits of the Western Genre Criticism

The East Asian Westerns of the twenty-first century have been studied extensively by scholars of East Asian cinema, yet have been largely missing from the conversations animating the Western genre studies, despite the field’s recent transnational turn. This absence might be linked to their unique for­mal feature: their de-coupling of the genre’s most recognizable tropes and props from their presumed location in the American West. By indigenizing the Western, films such as Miike Takashi’s Sukiyaki Western Django 2007 or Kim Jee-woon’s The Good, the Bad, the Weird 2008 have served to consolidate national cinemas in East Asia and refashioned our understanding of globalization by highlight­ing regional, intra-Asian trajectories of influence. Despite their hasty dismissal by some Western film critics, they may still reinvigorate the theoretical conversations at the heart of Western studies as well as pose productive questions about their influence on the practice and reception of the U.S. iterations of the genre. In their deft citations drawing on the global Western vernacular, East Asian Westerns expose the centrality of the American West as the unsurpassable limit of the Western genre studies, while simultaneously revealing the appreciatively transnational tenor of the contemporary practice of the genre in the United States.WSCHODNIOAZJATYCKIE WESTERNY NA GRANICY/JAKO GRANICE KRYTYKI GATUNKU WESTERNUWschodnioazjatyckie westerny są szczegolowo badane przez badaczy azjatyckiego kina, jednak wyraź­nie pomijane w dyskusjach ozywiających studia nad gatunkiem westernu mimo niedawnego pojawie­nia sie transnarodowej perspektywy badawczej. Ta nieobecnośc moze miec związek z ich wyjątkową formalną cechą: odlączenie najbardziej rozpoznawalnych tropow i rekwizytow gatunkowych od ich macierzystej lokalizacji na amerykanskim Zachodzie. Przez akulturacje westernu filmy takie, jak Sukiy­aki Western Django 2007 Miike Takashiego czy Dobry, zly i zakrecony 2008 Kima Jee-woona, sluzą konsolidacji kina narodowego we wschodniej Azji oraz przeformulowują nasze rozumienie globaliza­cji, podkreślając regionalne wewnątrzazjatyckie trajektorie wplywu. Mimo pochopnego lekcewazenia przez niektorych zachodnich krytykow filmy te wciąz mają szanse ozywic teoretyczne dyskusje w sercu westernowych badan, jak rowniez stawiac pozyteczne pytania o ich wplyw na praktyke iodbior amery­kanskich reprodukcji gatunku. W swoich wprawnych cytowaniach obrazowania opartych na globalnym westernowym zargonie wschodnioazjatyckie westerny odslaniają glowne znaczenie amerykanskiego Zachodu jako nieprzekraczalną granice badan gatunkowych westernu, jednocześnie ujawniając akcep­tująco ponadnarodową tonacje wspolczesnej praktyki w obszarze tego gatunku w USA. Przel. Kordian Bobowski
Therapeutic Disassembly of Leukemogenic Enhancer Complexes

Abstract Despite a detailed understanding of the genetic mechanisms of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), treatments remain deeply inadequate. Aberrant activity of hematopoietic transcription factors and their co-activators has been implicated in the expression of leukemogenic genes, providing a compelling therapeutic target. Hematopoietic transcription factor MYB and its co-activator CREB-binding protein/P300 (CBP/P300) are required for the initiation and maintenance of a variety of acute leukemias. Using protein engineering methods, we have developed cell-penetrant peptidomimetic inhibitors that interfere with this interaction by targeting the KIX domain of CBP/P300. A second-generation inhibitor based on the chimeric interaction of MYB and CREB, termed CRYBMIM, binds CPB/P300 KIX with 10-fold higher affinity and exhibits logarithmic cell killing of most leukemia subtypes, while sparing healthy human hematopoietic progenitor cells (Figure 1). Comparative gene expression, chromatin mapping, and protein-protein interaction mapping elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which CRYBMIM dismantles oncogenic enhanceosomes, leading to the downregulation of leukemogenic gene expression in leukemia but not normal cells. Finally, we have developed a peptide-protein conjugation strategy for in vivo delivery of peptidomimetics by polyvalent reversible conjugation to transferrin (TF). We found that TF-peptide conjugates are readily taken up by AML cells and accumulate in AML nuclei, supporting their translation into new therapeutic strategies for patients. Taken together, this work advances an effective therapeutic strategy for therapeutic disruption of leukemogenic enhancer complexes, and defines mechanisms of aberrant gene expression control in AML. Download : Download high-res image (413KB) Download : Download full-size image Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Stridulation by cosmetid harvestmen (Arachnida: Opiliones)

Stridulatory organs have not been previously investigated for harvestmen in the family Cosmetidae. During a field study, we observed the infrequent production of vibrations by adult Cynorta marginalis Banks, 1909. Using SEM, we examined the surfaces of several appendages for potential stridulatory organs. Our observations indicate that C. marginalis has denticles on the mesal surfaces of the basichelicerites that when rubbed together may function as an isomorphous stridulatory organ. In addition, there are denticles on the ectal surfaces of the basichelicerites and furrowed ridges on the femora of the pedipalps that may represent heteromorphous stridulatory organs. We did not observe any sexual dimorphism in morphology at either anatomical location. We also examined the appendages of two additional cosmetid harvestmen: Paecilaema inglei Goodnight & Goodnight, 1947, a species that also stridulates when held and Erginulus clavotibialis (Pickard-Cambridge, 1905), a species that has not been observed to produce vibrations. As in C. marginalis, we observed denticles on mesal and ectal surfaces of the basichelicerites and a furrowed ridge on the mesal surfaces of the femora of the pedipalps of adult P. inglei. In contrast, the basichelicerites of E. clavotibialis had relatively fewer and smaller denticles on the external surfaces of the chelicerae and the mesal surface of the femora of the pedipalps lacked ridges and were relatively smooth. Our comparative morphological data supports the hypothesis that there are cosmetid harvestmen that may use surface features on the chelicerae and pedipalps to produce vibrations which may function as a secondary defense mechanism.
Proactive Distributed Constraint Optimization Problems

Current approaches that model dynamism in DCOPs solve a sequence of static problems, reacting to changes in the environment as the agents observe them. Such approaches thus ignore possible predictions on future changes. To overcome this limitation, we introduce (finite-horizon) Proactive Dynamic DCOPs (PD-DCOPs) and Infinite-Horizon PD-DCOPs (IPD-DCOPs) to model dynamic DCOPs in the presence of exogenous uncertainty. In contrast to reactive approaches, PD-DCOPs and IPD-DCOPs are able to explicitly model the possible changes to the problem, and take such information into account proactively, when solving the dynamically changing problem. The additional expressivity of these formalisms allows them to model a wider variety of distributed optimization problems. Our work presents both theoretical and practical contributions that advance current dynamic DCOP models.
AgNa(VO2F2)2: A Trioxovanadium Fluoride with Unconventional Electrochemical Properties.

Crystals and powder of AgNa(VO2F2)2 (I) are prepared by hydrothermal synthesis of a stoichiometric mixture of Ag2O, NaF, and V2O5 in aqueous HF (autoclave, 150 °C, 24 h, 40% yield).
Weakly Supervised Deep Learning for Detecting and Counting Dead Cells in Microscopy Images

Counting dead cells is a key step in evaluating the performance of chemotherapy treatment and drug screening. Deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) can learn complex visual features, but require massive ground truth annotations which is expensive in biomedical experiments. Counting cells, especially dead cells, with very few ground truth annotations remains unexplored. In this paper, we automate dead cell counting using a weakly supervised strategy. We took advantage of the fact that cell death is low before chemotherapy treatment and increases after treatment. Motivated by the contrast, we first design image level supervised only classification neural networks to detect dead cells. Based on the class response map in classification networks, we calculate a Dead Confidence Map (DCM) to specify confidence of each dead cell. Associated with peak clustering, local maximums in the DCM are used to count the number of dead cells. In addition, a biological experiment based weakly supervised data preparation strategy is proposed to minimize human intervention. We show classification performance compared to general purpose and cell classification networks, and report results for the image-level supervised counting task.
Preexisting Opioid Use Disorder and Outcomes After Lower Extremity Arthroplasty: A Multistate Analysis, 2007–2014

Objective The aim of this study was to examine the association of preexisting opioid use disorder and postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing total hip or knee arthroplasty (THA and TKA, respectively) in the overall population and in the Medicare-only population. Methods This retrospective cohort study examined data from the State Inpatient Databases of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project for the years 2007-2014 from California, Florida, New York, Maryland, and Kentucky. We compared patients with and without opioid use disorders on unadjusted rates and calculated adjusted odds ratios (aORs) of in-hospital mortality, postoperative complications, length of stay, and 30-day and 90-day readmission status; analyses were repeated in a subgroup of Medicare insurance patients only. Subjects After applying our exclusion criteria, our study included 1,422,210 adult patients undergoing lower extremity arthroplasties, including 818,931 Medicare insurance patients. In our study, 0.4% of THA patients and 0.3% of TKA patients had present-on-admission opioid use disorder. Results Opioid use disorder patients were at higher risk for in-hospital mortality (aOR = 3.10), 30- and 90-day readmissions (aORs = 1.81, 1.81), and pulmonary and infectious complications (aORs = 1.25, 1.96). Conclusions Present-on-admission opioid use disorder was a risk factor for worse postoperative outcomes and increased health care utilization in the lower extremity arthroplasty population. Opioid use disorder is a potentially modifiable risk factor for mortality, postoperative complications, and health care utilization, especially in the at-risk Medicare population.
Alcohol Misuse and Women’s Use of Aggression in Intimate Relationships: The Mediating Role of Motivations for Using Aggression

The relationship between alcohol misuse and women's use of intimate partner violence (IPV) aggression has been well studied; however, there has been no research to date on women's self-reported motivations for use of IPV aggression (e.g., self-defense, control) as an underlying mechanism explaining this link. Accordingly, this study aims to examine whether the effects of alcohol misuse on IPV aggression vary as a function of women's motivations for using aggression. Participants were 412 ethnically diverse community women, between the ages of 18 and 65, in intimate relationships characterized by bidirectional IPV. The Motives and Reasons for IPV Scale was used to assess women's reasons for using IPV aggression. Results revealed that the tough guise motive (i.e., wanting to appear tough, intimidating, and willing to harm one's partner) explained the relationship between alcohol misuse and physical and sexual IPV aggression. Findings suggest the utility of incorporating the assessment of women's motivations for IPV aggression in an effort to provide better informed intervention addressing the underlying reasons women use IPV aggression.
Neonatal Extremity Compartment Syndrome: A Rare Diagnosis Requiring Prompt Recognition

Neonatal extremity compartment syndrome is an extremely rare diagnosis. Risk factors that predispose infants to a hypercoagulable state or trauma have been implicated, but the exact mechanisms remain poorly understood. The hallmark of the condition is extremity swelling with sentinel skin changes. We report a case of upper extremity compartment syndrome from initial presentation until 3 months after discharge and discuss the importance of prompt diagnosis and timely surgical evaluation.
The 'Foundations' of Anti-Foundationalism - or, Taking the Ninth Amendment Lightly: A Comment on Farber's Book on the Ninth Amendment

The Ninth Amendment has served two purposes in constitutional discourse - to refute textualists and originalists, and to supply the historical grounds for reading the Constitution as a rights-foundationalist document. Professor McAffee's review of Professor Farber's book on the amendment raises the question whether, given Farber's prior rejection of foundationalism, it is possible for him to reconcile these two ends. It also suggests that, even if the amendment did grow from the environment that gave us the Declaration of Independence, the history gives reason to doubt that its purpose was to provide for the legal enforcement of unstated moral claims, or natural rights. Indeed, Professor McAffee contends that its purpose was to protect the rights retained residually by the system of limited powers granted the national government under the Constitution. But even if we would read the text and history differently, Professor Farber's work seems ultimately at least as committed to his pragmatism as it is to instilling reverence for the claims of unenumerated rights.
Spin squeezing for coherent population-trapping-based atomic clocks

In general, the process of spin squeezing is employed for atomic sensors that are essentially free from the effect of spontaneous emission. In the case of an atomic clock based on coherent population trapping, spontaneous emission plays a key role. Specifically, when the clock is realized in the Ramsey configuration employing a pair of pulses separated in time, it is the spontaneous emission process during the first pulse that creates the coherent population trapping, by optically pumping the atoms into the so-called dark state. We show in this talk that it is still possible to apply the process of spin squeezing to enhance the sensitivity of such a clock, by designing carefully the sequence of steps in the protocol. Specifically, we consider the approach of using the maximally entangled Schroedinger Cat states, produced via one axis twist squeezing, to achieve Heisenberg Limited sensitivity, representing an improvement in sensitivity by as much as four orders of magnitude.
Endothelial Cxcl12 Regulates Neovascularization During Tissue Repair and Tumor Progression

CXC chemokine ligand 12 (CXCL12; stromal cell-derived factor 1 [SDF-1]), primarily known for its role in embryogenesis and hematopoiesis, has also been implicated in tumor biology and neovascularization. However, its specific role and mechanism of action remain poorly understood. We previously demonstrated that CXCL12 expression is Hypoxia-Inducible Factor (HIF)-1 responsive. Here we use a conditional CXCL12 knockout mouse to show that endothelial-specific deletion of CXCL12 (eKO) does not affect embryogenesis, but reduces the survival of ischemic tissue, altering tissue repair and tumor progression. Loss of vascular endothelial CXCL12 disrupts endothelial – fibroblast crosstalk necessary for stromal growth and vascularization. Single-cell gene expression analysis in combination with a parabiosis model reveals a specific population of non-inflammatory circulating cells, defined by genes regulating neovascularization, which is recruited by endothelial CXCL12. These findings indicate an essential role for endothelial CXCL12 expression during the adult neovascular response in tissue injury and tumor progression.
Campaign Rhetoric and the Hide & Seek Game

I examine the choice of political rhetoric when one candidate's willingness to misinform the voter is checked by the other's ability to inform. In the basic model, a debate is a competition between two candidates in which the "good" candidate wants to reveal information about quality and the "bad" candidate wants to avoid such revelation. However, the quality of the rival candidate can only be discovered through costly research. Therefore, debate takes the form of a hide and seek game under incomplete information. The main result is that although negative advertising and slander go down as the prior probability of a candidate being good increases; voter welfare (probability of correct selection) is not monotonic in the prior or the cost of search. All results extend to a model where a continuum of real numbers represents candidate quality, with the additional feature that the definition of "good" and "bad" are determined endogenously.
Electrical Defects at the SiO2/Si Interface Studied by EPR

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) is one of the most powerful techniques for studying defects in electronic materials. It has been applied to the Si/SiO2 system with considerable success over the past few decades. This paper will review recent work using this technique in conjunction with electrical characterization methods to study the physics and chemistry of electrically active defects in metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs). This work has revealed the crucial role played by atomic hydrogen (H0) in the chemistry of defects in Si02. Experiments in which Si/Si02 structures are exposed to H0 help to explain various phenomena resulting from electrical stress or radiation exposure in MOS structures. However, this work has also opened new questions about the nature of the dominant electrically active defects at or near the Si/Si02 interface.
Sensitivity analysis for multi-variable models: Methodology and application for the economics of energy management systems

Abstract A method has been developed enabling analysts to measure the sensitivity of model outcome for a large number of variables. Variables are classified as direct or indirect based on their relationship to the model output. The method involves building an interface between the indirect variables and the direct ones and modifying a basic model before measuring the sensitivity of the model for a given variable. Sensitivity is measured through the computation of the model value; each time a variable is assigned a new value between predetermined limits. The method was formulated analytically and a computer program written to facilitate using the models for survey purposes as well as sensitivity analysis depending on the application.
Creativity and the Educational System

In this paper, I explore the question of whether creativity can be an aim of national educational systems. While the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche famously argued against this possibility, the American philosopher John Dewey believed that schools and educational systems could be restructured to foster the development of creativity of the young. Here I argue that certain structural features central to the efficient and effective functioning of educational systems strongly inhibit the fostering of creative persons. Though individual schools may indeed aim at creativity, the more that they are embedded within the surrounding educational system makes them less likely to achieve that aim.
The Impact of Organizational Structure on Mass Customization Capability: A Contingency View

This study investigates the role of organizational structure in facilitating the development of mass customization (MC) capability in various manufacturing settings. Specifically, three dimensions of organizational structure are considered—flatness, centralization, and employee multifunctionality. We model organizational structure as a second-order factor whose value is captured on a mechanistic-organic continuum, where the organic form is characterized by a flat, decentralized structure with a wide use of multifunctional employees. We propose that a positive relationship exists between the organic organizational structure and MC capability. Additionally, building upon contingency theory, we argue that this positive relationship is moderated by mass customizer type—full mass customizers, which customize products at the design or fabrication stage of the production cycle, versus partial customizers, which customize products only at the assembly or delivery stages. Based on a study of 167 manufacturing plants from three industries and eight countries, we find that, for the overall sample, organic structure plays a significant role in enabling firms to pursue MC capability. However, an analysis of full versus partial mass customizers shows that the positive impact of organic structure on MC capability is statistically significant only for full mass customizers, not for partial mass customizers.
Other Correlational Techniques

The Pearson correlation coefficient r is an appropriate statistic for describing the relationship between two variables when a linear model is appropriate and when data are continuous. For other kinds of data, however, other correlational techniques are necessary. The Spearman rank-order correlation coefficient, a Pearson r , is used when data are in the form of ranks. The point-biserial correlation coefficient, also a Pearson r , is used when one variable is dichotomous (has only two possible values) and one is continuous. This chapter describes the relationship between one dichotomous and one continuous variable. It examines the biserial correlation coefficient and tetrachoric correlation coefficient. When relationship between two variables is to be determined and both of them are genuinely dichotomous, the appropriate correlation coefficient to compute is the phi coefficient. This coefficient is closely related to the chi square statistic.
Heterogeneous Speeds of Adjustment in Target Capital Structure

This paper finds strong support for the argument that heterogeneous adjustment costs significantly affects the speed with which a firm approaches its target capital structure. We find that firms with higher non-debt tax shields (from R&D), and cash holdings adjust faster to their target capital structure. Firms that have higher profitability, growth, information intensity, industry leverage, financial constraints, and market timing adjust slower to their target capital structure. We also find a significantly positive relation on predicted cash holdings, consistent with the argument that these firms adjust slowly because they have other predictable needs. On the other hand, firms with a lot of excess cash holdings adjust faster to their target capital structure. All the above results use an estimator that we show to be unbiased.
Amino Acid Regulation of Gene Expression

Regulation of gene expression by amino acids is mediated through a number of mechanisms affecting both the transcription of DNA and the translation of mRNA. This report reviews recent findings demonstrating a role for amino acids in regulating the initiation phase of mRNA translation. The report focuses on key regulatory events in translation initiation and discusses some of the signaling pathways through which amino acid sufficiency or the lack thereof is communicated within the cell. It concludes with a consideration of some of the important unanswered questions in this rapidly advancing area of research.
Deuterium beam species measurement by D-D fusion product analysis

Abstract Results are discussed for a diagnostic method of determining molecular composition of ions exiting an 80-keV high-power ion source designed for neutral-beam heating in controlled fusion research. By viewing the charged products of a d-d reaction from a deuterium beam in a deuterium gas target, one can calculate the proportion of full, half, and a third energy products extracted from the accelerator.
Points of Departure: Insiders, Outsiders, and Social Relations in Caribbean Field Research

In traditional ethnographies, it is customarily assumed that the field researcher is an outsider who seeks to acquire an insider’s understanding of the social world being investigated. While conducting field research projects on education and tourism in Trinidad (West Indies) we found that the standard distinction between insider and outsider became problematic for us. Our experiences can be understood in terms of two competing conceptions of fieldwork. One, rooted in classical ethnography, views fieldwork as a process whereby the researcher learns to translate the cultural practices of a little-known or misunderstood group into terms understandable to the ethnographic audience. The other, growing out of the institutional ethnography approach pioneered by Dorothy E. Smith, views fieldwork as a process of mapping the relations that govern an institutional complex. In the latter approach, local experiences provide the point of departure for exploring a wider set of social arrangements. In this article, we treat our own fieldwork experiences as points of departure for a reflexive examination of this alternative ethnographic strategy.
Vocational behavior, 1988–1990: Vocational choice, decision-making, career development interventions, and assessment

Abstract This article is the 16th in a series of yearly reviews of the vocational behavior literature. In contrast to previous reviews, this work expanded the review period from 1 to 3 years and narrowed the scope of topics examined. The resulting literature demonstrates considerable breadth, but little depth. While this breadth reflects a solid foundation for the field, vocational choice, decision-making, intervention, and assessment have been studied using a plethora of constructs and scales that were often atheoretical and only superficially related to each other. I suggest that traditional measurement methods, though responsible for considerable success in vocational research and practice, must be reexamined for renewed progress to occur.
Early sexual experience as a factor in prostitution

Using the literature of the early sexual histories of "normal" women and two recent studies on the sexual histories of prostitutes, this article examines the pattern of early sexual experience among prostitutes and how it differs from that common to nonprostitute women. Some significant differences found between the samples of prostitutes and the samples of "normal" women were that the prostitute samples, on the whole, learned less about sex from parents and more from personal experiences, as children experienced more sexual advances by elders, were more victimized by incest, generally initiated sexual activity at a younger age, more often had no further relationship with their first coital partner, and experienced a higher incidence of rape. The analysis of these data on early sexual history concentrates on abusive sexual experiences such as incest and rape. The authors believe that an abusive sexual self-identity relates to the development of an adult female pattern of occupational deviance such as prostitution.
Short-term stress enhances cellular immunity and increases early resistance to squamous cell carcinoma

In contrast to chronic/long-term stress that suppresses/dysregulates immune function, an acute/short-term fight-or-flight stress response experienced during immune activation can enhance innate and adaptive immunity. Moderate ultraviolet-B (UV) exposure provides a non-invasive system for studying the naturalistic emergence, progression and regression of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Because SCC is an immunoresponsive cancer, we hypothesized that short-term stress experienced before UV exposure would enhance protective immunity and increase resistance to SCC. Control and short-term stress groups were treated identically except that the short-term stress group was restrained (2.5h) before each of nine UV-exposure sessions (minimum erythemal dose, 3-times/week) during weeks 4-6 of the 10-week UV exposure protocol. Tumors were measured weekly, and tissue collected at weeks 7, 20, and 32. Chemokine and cytokine gene expression was quantified by real-time PCR, and CD4+ and CD8+ T cells by flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry. Compared to controls, the short-term stress group showed greater cutaneous T-cell attracting chemokine (CTACK)/CCL27, RANTES, IL-12, and IFN-gamma gene expression at weeks 7, 20, and 32, higher skin infiltrating T cell numbers (weeks 7 and 20), lower tumor incidence (weeks 11-20) and fewer tumors (weeks 11-26). These results suggest that activation of short-term stress physiology increased chemokine expression and T cell trafficking and/or function during/following UV exposure, and enhanced Type 1 cytokine-driven cell-mediated immunity that is crucial for resistance to SCC. Therefore, the physiological fight-or-flight stress response and its adjuvant-like immuno-enhancing effects, may provide a novel and important mechanism for enhancing immune system mediated tumor-detection/elimination that merits further investigation.
From Nihilism to Monism

Mereological nihilism is the view that all concrete objects are simple. Existence monism is the view that the only concrete object is one big simple: the world. I will argue that nihilism culminates in monism. The nihilist demands the simplest sufficient ontology, and the monist delivers it. Nothing is cheaper and commoner in philosophy than monism; what, unhappily, is still rare, is an attempt to defend it, and critically to establish its assumptions. [Schiller 1897: 62]
Effect of griseofulvin upon lipid films at the air-water interface

The effect of griseofulvin upon monomolecular films of stearic acid and cholesterol has been determined by comparing the pressure-area curves obtained when these film-forming materials were spread on a redistilled water substrate and one consisting of a solution of griseofulvin in redistilled water.
Sacrificing nature: gold mining on indigenous lands in Oaxaca, Mexico

Historical data and an in-depth examination of two cases indicate that current approaches to gold mining on indigenous lands in Mexico under neoliberal assumptions generate environmental pollution and severe community disruption. Indigenous communities rich in minerals are now targeted by multinational mining corporations supplying world markets. Local agricultural decline pressures residents to embrace the limited jobs generated by mining. Yet current minerals extraction, including associated water pollution, can permanently lay waste to all sustainable rural livelihoods. Realising this, indigenous communities are building alternative and diverse economic foundations on collectively-managed territories. While international legal norms require host states to support indigenous self-determination in development, this duty is frequently ignored by states seeking aggregate economic growth. In defence, indigenous municipalities have fashioned political coalitions with neighbouring communities and international environmental groups. But external pressures and internal divisions limit their ability to act as stewards of the environment.