cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Design of a pseudo-MRAS sliding mode observer with double feedback for estimation of the rotor time constant of the induction motor

The paper presents a method to estimate the inverse of the rotor time constant of the induction motor. The estimation is done using a sliding mode observer under the assumption that the stationary frame fluxes are known. These fluxes are first obtained using a voltage model observer; they are also used for field orientation. With measured voltages, currents, known fluxes and speed, the rotor time constant is estimated using a pseudo-MRAS sliding mode observer with dual feedback terms. The paper shows the design of this observer — this works well under ideal conditions. However, if the speed is inaccurate or if the magnetizing inductance saturates, the estimation accuracy suffers. The paper develops a model for the saturated induction motor and, using the equivalent controls that correspond to the sliding mode terms, attempts to estimate the saturation level — however, it is found that this is not possible.
Predicting Cloud Performance for HPC Applications: a User-oriented Approach

Cloud computing enables end users to execute high-performance computing applications by renting the required computing power. This pay-for-use approach enables small enterprises and startups to run HPC-related businesses with a significant saving in capital investment and a short time to market. When deploying an application in the cloud, the users may a) fail to understand the interactions of the application with the software layers implementing the cloud system, b) be unaware of some hardware details of the cloud system, and c) fail to understand how sharing part of the cloud system with other users might degrade application performance. These misunderstandings may lead the users to select suboptimal cloud configurations in terms of cost or performance. To aid the users in selecting the optimal cloud configuration for their applications, we suggest that the cloud provider generate a prediction model for the provided system. We propose applying machine-learning techniques to generate this prediction model. First, the cloud provider profiles a set of training applications by means of a hardware-independent profiler and then executes these applications on a set of training cloud configurations to collect actual performance values. The prediction model is trained to learn the dependencies of actual performance data on the application profile and cloud configuration parameters. The advantage of using a hardware-independent profiler is that the cloud users and the cloud provider can analyze applications on different machines and interface with the same prediction model. We validate the proposed methodology for a cloud system implemented with OpenStack. We apply the prediction model to the NAS parallel benchmarks. The resulting relative error is below 15% and the Pareto optimal cloud configurations finally found when maximizing application speed and minimizing execution cost on the prediction model are also at most 15% away from the actual optimal solutions.
An Experimental Investigation of the Effect of Jet-to-Surface Distance on the Thermal Hydraulics of the Helium-Cooled Modular Divertor with Multiple Jets

The helium-cooled modular divertor with multiple jets (HEMJ) can potentially accommodate the large steady-state heat fluxes expected in future long-pulse magnetic fusion reactors. This work, which ...
CREATING VALUE FROM THE OUTSIDE IN OR INSIDE OUT: HOW NASCENT INTERMEDIARIES BUILD PEER-TO-PEER MARKETPLACES

Peer-to-peer marketplaces have fueled the growth of the sharing economy. Despite their proliferation, little systematic evidence and theory exist on how nascent intermediaries build this particular...
A Good Laugh Is Hard to Find: From Destructive Satire to Sacramental Humor in Evelyn Waugh’s Helena:

Despite Evelyn Waugh’s conviction that Helena (1950) was his greatest work, the novel receives less critical attention than his well-known interwar satires and his postwar hit, Brideshead Revisited...
An Oblique View

There is a philosopher who is very popular in my department. Everyone has a high opinion of him and, as a rare sign of harmony in an otherwise dysfunctional “community,” we unanimously voted to hire him a few years back (our recommendation was denied — so much for our unique display of agreement). This philosopher has a peculiar way of looking at you, when immersed in deep scholarly exchange. He turns his face away, at an angle of maybe 15/20 degrees, in fact even moves it an inch or so down; and from that (prima facie uncomfortable) position directs a piercing, questioning glance.
The 2002 Women’s Health Initiative Study (WHI): What Did It Prove or Disprove? Future Directions

The WHI findings were seen as conclusive by some, were resisted by others, and for a third group, presented an opportunity to bring to the fore the use of transdermal routes of administering HT, which had been used more widely in Europe than in the United States, and which were showing many fewer of the negative effects, primarily because it is not metabolized in the liver, as is oral HT, and because of the use, in the patches, creams and gels, or primarily estradiol.
Kinetic analysis of grain boundary Cr concentration during thermal or irradiation exposure

Grain boundary Cr concentration influences resistance to intergranular stress corrosion cracking of stainless steel reactor core components. Therefore it is important to understand (1) how initial thermal processing affects thermal nonequilibrium segregation (TNES), (2) how service exposure affects radiation-induced segregation (RIS), and (3) how temperature affects post-irradiation annealing (PIA). In this study, each process is shown to be controlled by Cr-vacancy interactions. Mechanistic predictions are in accord with measured kinetics of changes in grain boundary Cr concentration for RIS and PIA but not for TNES. Inconsistencies between TNES model predictions and TNES measured segregation suggest that multiple solute-defect interactions must be considered and not just the simple interaction between Cr and vacancies. Furthermore, analysis of RIS of enriched TNES profiles suggests that Cr is chemically bound to the grain boundary such that the boundary concentration is influenced both by RIS in the matrix outside of the boundary plane and by chemistry within the TNES enriched boundary. Mechanistic understanding of changes in Cr concentration at grain boundaries may suggest mitigating measures for reduced in-core cracking by control of heat treatments, alloy chemistry and PIA.
Acute priapism associated with the use of sildenafil in a patient with sickle cell trait.

To the editor: Acute priapism associated with the use of sildenafil in a patient with sickle cell trait Sildenafil, an oral agent that has proven effective for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED), enables a natural erectile response to sexual stimulation by enhancing the relaxant effect of
Fed Chat: FOMC Transcripts and the Politics of Monetary Policymaking

This paper investigates a variety of issues related to political aspects of monetary policymaking. The approach is anecdotal - it is based on our reading of textual records from meetings of the FOMC during Arthur Burns's years as Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board. These records include "Memoranda of Discussion" for meetings between 1970 and 1976, and verbatim transcripts of meetings held between 1976 and 1978. The latter were obtained from Arthur Burns's personal papers and are the only verbatim transcripts of policy meetings available from any major central bank. We use the records to investigate sources of political influence on policymakers: pressures from the President, the Congress, and the public. We investigate the timing of elections and the possibility of a "political business cycle" in monetary policy. We evaluate issues related to "credibility" and the "time consistency" problem as an explanation for an inflationary bias. Further, we discuss the role of committee decision-making institutions, information strategies, and inertial forces in shaping the decisions of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC).
A preschooler's agency: why relational types of agency emerge in peer interactions?

ABSTRACTThis study explores a preschooler’s relational types of agency and the reasons why these types emerge. This study defines children’s agency as a capacity and power to act purposefully, nego...
Fecal coliform concentrations in effluent from ultraviolet disinfection units installed in onsite wastewater treatment systems

Ultraviolet disinfection (UVD) units enhance onsite sewage systems (OSSs) in areas where conventional treatment is limited by site characteristics. Although UVD units are efficacious under testing conditions, few studies have considered their effectiveness when installed. This study used a mixed-methods approach to examine UVD unit effluent quality and determine the association between UV bulb status and fecal coliform levels. Samples from UVD units and pump chambers were tested for bacterial and physiochemical parameters. Field data were supplemented with data from retrospective compliance samples. A multivariate Tobit regression model predicted that the geometric mean (GM) fecal coliform concentration was 122% higher when the UV bulb was deficient than when it was not deficient, adjusted for other OSS deficiencies (95% CI: 36-428, p-value <0.001). The predicted GM fecal coliform concentration in malfunctioning UVD unit effluent (745 CFU/100 mL) exceeded field compliance standards (400 CFU/100 mL), and the odds of exceedance were 7.48 times higher when the UV bulb was deficient, adjusted for other OSS deficiencies (95% CI: 4.03-13.9, p-value <0.001). Despite limitations in the characterization of UV dose, the results validate the importance of UVD units to reduce bacterial loads and the need for further research into their field effectiveness.
Genetic differentiation in carbon isotope discrimination and gas exchange in Pseudotsuga menziesii : a common-garden experiment

Patterns of genetic variation in gas-exchange physiology were analyzed in a 15-year-old Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) plantation that contains 25 populations grown from seed collected from across the natural distribution of the species. Seed was collected from 33°30′ to 53°12′ north latitude and from 170 m to 2930 m above sea level, and from the coastal and interior (Rocky Mountain) varieties of the species. Carbon isotope discrimination (Δ) ranged from 19.70(‰) to 22.43(‰) and was closely related to geographic location of the seed source. The coastal variety (20.50 (SE=0.21)‰) was not significantly different from the interior variety (20.91 (0.15)‰). Instead, most variation was found within the interior variety; populations from the southern Rockies had the highest discrimination (21.53 (0.20)‰) (lowest water-use efficiency). Carbon isotope discrimination (Δ), stomatal conductance to water vapor (g), the ratio of intercellular to ambient CO2 concentration (ci/ca), and intrinsic water-use efficiency (A/g) were all correlated with altitude of origin (r=0.76, 0.73, 0.74, and −0.63 respectively); all were statistically significant at the 0.01 level. The same variables were correlated with both height and diameter at age 15 (all at P≤0.0005). Observed patterns in the common garden did not conform to our expectation of higher WUE, measured by both A/g and Δ, in trees from the drier habitats of the interior, nor did they agree with published in situ observations of decreasing g and Δ with altitude. The genetic effect opposes the altitudinal one, leading to some degree of homeostasis in physiological characteri tics in situ.
Time to initiation of neo-adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer treatment does not influence patient survival: A study of US breast cancer patients.

Delays in the initiation of adjuvant chemotherapy or radiation therapy are associated with worse outcomes in patients undergoing treatment for breast cancer. However, the impact of the time to initiation of neo-adjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) on patient outcomes has not previously been studied. The purpose of this study was to determine whether delays in NAC initiation impact patient survival. The National Cancer Database was queried for women ≥ 18 years old who underwent NAC within 6 months of being diagnosed with stage I-III invasive breast cancer in 2010-2011. ER+ or PR+, Her2- cancers were excluded from analysis. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard modeling was used to evaluate the relationship between time to NAC, sociodemographic, diagnosis, and treatment factors with patient survival. The median age of the 12 806 women included in this study was 52 (range 21-90) with 62% presenting with cT2 disease and 62% with nodal involvement. Half of the women (50%) had triple negative, 30% ER/PR+Her2+ and 20% ER-PR-Her2+ cancers. The median time to starting NAC was 4 weeks (range 0-26) for all subtypes. Time to NAC initiation was not associated with a difference in survival for triple negative or Her2+ cancers. Delays from diagnosis to starting NAC are not associated with worse survival for patients with Her2+ or triple negative breast cancer. This study demonstrates that the majority of women in the modern era start NAC in a timely fashion and delays in starting NAC within 6 months of diagnosis do not impact long-term patient outcomes.
The Experiences of Black Participants in Organized Tennis Leagues

Although the leisure research discusses how feelings of being unwelcome dissuade racial and ethnic groups from participating in recreational activities, less attention has been placed on what elements allow a sense of belonging to be developed among minorities. This study examined Black adults’ experiences in recreational tennis leagues. Specifically, the research questions addressed: (1) the elements influencing Black adults’ decision to start and continue playing in tennis leagues, and (2) the role of tennis leagues in creating a sense of belonging for Black players. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with thirteen Black tennis players participating in tennis leagues in Columbia, SC. The data analysis revealed several themes related to the process of joining a tennis league, the benefits of playing in a league, and a sense of belonging. Elements that were crucial in drawing new players and retaining existing players were identified. Findings from this study should assist tennis organizations and professionals in recruiting Black adults to recreational tennis.
Functional Performance and Discharge Setting Predict Outcomes 3 Months After Rehabilitation Hospitalization for Stroke

Abstract Background Some clinical features of patients after stroke may be modifiable and used to predict outcomes. Identifying these features may allow for refining plans of care and informing estimates of posthospital service needs. The purpose of this study was to identify key factors that predict functional independence and living setting 3 months after rehabilitation hospital discharge by using a large comprehensive national data set of patients with stroke. Methods The Uniform Data System for Medical Rehabilitation was queried for the records of patients with a diagnosis of stroke who were hospitalized for inpatient rehabilitation from 2005 through 2007. The system includes demographic, administrative, and clinical variables collected at rehabilitation admission, discharge, and 3-month follow-up. Primary outcome measures were the Functional Independence Measure score and living setting 3 months after rehabilitation hospital discharge. Results The sample included 16,346 patients (80% white; 50% women; mean [SD] age, 70.3 [13.1] years; 97% ischemic stroke). The strongest predictors of Functional Independence Measure score and living setting at 3 months were those same factors at rehabilitation discharge, despite considering multiple other predictor variables including age, lesion laterality, initial neurologic impairment, and stroke-related comorbid conditions. Conclusions These data can inform clinicians, patients with stroke, and their families about what to expect in the months after hospital discharge. The predictive power of these factors, however, was modest, indicating that other factors may influence postacute outcomes. Future predictive modeling may benefit from the inclusion of educational status, socioeconomic factors, and brain imaging to improve predictive power.
Examining Techniques for Treatment of Medial Meniscal Ramp Lesions During Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Systematic Review.

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study was to systematically review the clinical outcomes and adverse events among different techniques for treatment of medial meniscal ramp lesions performed in conjunction with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. Methods A systematic review was performed using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. PubMed, Cochrane Reviews, Web of Science, and Medline databases were searched for studies examining clinical outcomes after surgical treatment of ramp lesions. Studies were selected if they met the following criteria: (1) evaluation of the outcome of surgical repair of meniscal ramp lesions, (2) injuries associated with ACL tears, (3) minimum 6-month follow up, (4) publication in a peer-reviewed journal, and (5) English language or translation readily available. Results Seven studies met inclusion criteria (485 patients; mean age 27.1 years [range 12 to 59]; mean follow-up 26.9 months [range 8 to 40]). Two all-inside techniques (suture-hook and an all-inside meniscus repair device) in addition to abrasion and trephination alone were analyzed. Each technique demonstrated significant increases in postoperative Lysholm and International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) scores, reaching the established minimal clinically important difference (MCID) for each patient reported outcome. Incomplete healing was documented in 12.1% to 12.9% of cases in which the tear was not repaired at the time of ACL reconstruction, 2.3% to 11.7% in cases using the suture-hook for repair, and 10.8% to 15% in the all-inside meniscus repair device group. Conclusion This systematic review demonstrated that several approaches used to treat medial meniscal ramp lesions associated with ACL tears lead to positive clinical outcomes. Small, stable tears Level of Evidence Level IV, systematic review of level II, III, and IV studies.
The world view(ed) through the English-speaking media lens: foreign news coverage steadfastly narrow and uniform

Do diverse mainstream media yield diverse world views? In a 197-nation accounting of international news flow, this study evaluates foreign news reporting by The New York Times, The Guardian, Nation...
Evaluate I 2 t Capability of SiC MOSFETs in Solid State Circuit Breaker Applications

Solid State Circuit Breakers (SSCBs) protect equipment in power systems during short circuit and overload. Evaluating the i2t capability of devices can be critical to the overload protection design of the SSCB. Previous methods used the junction-to-case dynamic thermal impedance to estimate the i2t capability. However, the overall dynamic thermal impedance can be influenced by the thermal management. In this paper, we investigated the influence of the heatsink on the dynamic thermal performance of the power switch. More importantly, we presented an experimental method to characterize the i2t capability of devices under the worst operating condition for the SSCB. The on-resistance of the switch is measured to predict the junction temperature with an improved voltage sensing circuit. Then, by applying over-current pulses with various current levels and pulse lengths, the relationship between the i2t value of over-current pulses and the junction temperature rise of the device can be investigated. The presented method has been verified to characterize the i2t capability of a SiC power module.
Governance and Merger Accounting: Evidence from Stock Price Reactions to Purchase versus Pooling

This paper examines the effect of corporate governance on investor reactions to accounting choice in the context of accounting for business combinations. Using a sample of 324 recent stock swap acquisitions I find that, contrary to practitioners' belief that capital markets penalize purchase accounting, the opposite appears to be true; there is a negative and significant differential market reaction of approximately 4% for acquiring firms that announce pooling transactions. This return differential declines to negative 8% for firms with ineffective corporate governance. These findings are consistent with capital markets interpreting the choice of purchase accounting as a signal of management's confidence in the likelihood of a successful merger. This signal is particularly relevant when corporate governance is considered ineffective.
Characteristics of aquatic biospheres on temperate planets around Sun-like stars and M dwarfs

Aquatic biospheres reliant on oxygenic photosynthesis are expected to play an important role on Earth-like planets endowed with large-scale oceans insofar as carbon fixation (i.e., biosynthesis of organic compounds) is concerned. We investigate the properties of aquatic biospheres comprising Earth-like biota for habitable rocky planets orbiting Sun-like stars and late-type M-dwarfs such as TRAPPIST-1. In particular, we estimate how these characteristics evolve with the available flux of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and the ambient ocean temperature ($T_W$), the latter of which constitutes a key environmental variable. We show that many salient properties, such as the depth of the photosynthesis zone and the net primary productivity (i.e., the effective rate of carbon fixation), are sensitive to PAR flux and $T_W$ and decline substantially when the former is decreased or the latter is increased. We conclude by exploring the implications of our analysis for exoplanets around Sun-like stars and M-dwarfs.
Reckoning with Race and Disability

Our national reckoning with race and inequality must include disability. Race and disability have a complicated but interconnected history. Yet discussions of our most salient socio-political issues such as police violence, prison abolition, healthcare, poverty, and education continue to treat race and disability as distinct, largely biologically based distinctions justifying differential treatment in law and policy. This approach has ignored the ways in which states have relied on disability as a tool of subordination, leading to the invisibility of disabled people of color in civil rights movements and an incomplete theoretical and remedial framework for contemporary justice initiatives. Legal scholars approach the analysis of race and disability principally as a matter of comparative subordination (race and disability; race as disability; disability as race). More recent scholarship, however, incorporates critical race and intersectionality to identify connections and center those most marginalized within racial justice and disability rights movements. This body of emerging legal scholarship creates fruitful points of entry, but still situates disability as an analytical tool for understanding racial subordination without due attention to disability’s co-constitutive function and its remedial lessons. This Essay argues that aesthetic theories of disability discrimination offer a comprehensive, unifying lens to understand the roots of both race and disability discrimination, the nature of the harms experienced by those with intersectional identities, and, perhaps most useful, the construction of remedies that can meaningfully address the endemic aesthetic origins of inequality. First, an aesthetics lens shows how deeply rooted biases mark people of color with and without disabilities as deviant, incompetent, and unequal. These biases trigger affective responses that, at first blush, appear to be biological and visceral when, in fact, they are products of centuries of structural subordination. Second, aesthetics help explain why norms of race and disability together are especially resistant to change. Third, aesthetic theories surface a misplaced faith in the quintessential socio-legal prescription for inequality: training and education. While such interventions may be necessary, this Essay cautions against their remedial sufficiency and calls for training and education designed with due attention to the lessons of aesthetics.
Placement and Routing for Power Module Layout

PowerSynth is a tool for the generation and multi-objective optimization of power module layouts. However, this generation is limited to variations of the initial layout sketched by a designer. In an effort to provide a deeper and more thorough exploration of the resulting design space, this paper proposes a placement and routing methodology adapted from VLSI techniques to provide a more diverse set of starting point layouts for PowerSynth optimization through synthesis of a circuit netlist. An overview of this method is presented along with prototype results of a continuous, force-directed placement routine. This paper demonstrates the proposed design flow, including PowerSynth initial layout results.
Homeownership, Polarization, and Inequality

In recent decades, the U.S. labor market has become more unequal and polarized: wage differences have widened and middle-income jobs have been replaced by low- and high-income jobs. The rise in inequality and polarization have been more pronounced in large cities. I argue that this can be explained by higher house price growth in big cities, which makes it harder for middle-income households to buy a house there. I build a spatial equilibrium model in which households differ by skill, and choose where to live and whether to rent or own housing. Low-skilled households cannot afford to buy in any location, while the high-skilled can buy anywhere. Meanwhile, the middle-skilled can only buy a house in affordable places. Thus, the middle of the skill distribution in expensive locations empties out, making them more polarized and unequal. Empirical evidence supports these predictions. First, middle-income households are more likely to move to states with lower house prices for housing-related reasons than those with low or high income. Second, polarization and inequality grew more in commuting zones where prices increased the most. Counterfactual experiments show that rising price-wage and price-rent ratios account for 12% to 21% of the increase in low and high-paid jobs and for 7% to 10% of the growth in the variance of log wages in the 20 largest commuting zones since 1980.
Molecular and Cellular Manifestations of Biological Aging of Cochlear Inner and Outer Hair Cells

Age-related hearing loss (ARHL) negatively impacts quality of life in the elderly population. The prevalent cause of ARHL is loss of mechanosensitive cochlear hair cells (HCs). The molecular and cellular mechanisms of HC degeneration remain poorly understood. Using RNA-seq transcriptomic analysis of inner and outer HCs isolated from young and aged mice, we show that HC aging is driven by changes in key molecular processes, including transcription, DNA damage/repair, inflammation, autophagy, and oxidative stress, as well as genes related to HC unique morphology and function. At the cellular level, HC aging is characterized by loss of stereocilia, shrinkage of HC soma and reduction in outer HC mechanical properties, suggesting that functional decline in mechanotransduction and cochlear amplification underlie ARHL and precede HC loss. Our study reveals novel molecular and cytological profiles of aging HCs, identifies several biomarkers including Foxo3, Jund and Cbx3, and suggests potential therapeutic targets for ameliorating ARHL.
Non-Linear Collision Analysis

As an unsolved issue for embedded crypto solutions, side channel attacks are challenging the security of the Internet of things. Due to the advancement of chip technology, the nature of side channel leakage becomes hard to characterize with a fixed leakage model. In this work, a new non-linear collision attack is proposed in the pursuit of the side channel distinguishers with minimal assumption of leakage behavior. The attack relies on a weaker assumption than classical DPA: it does not require a specific leakage model. The mechanism of collision generation enables independent recovery of partial keys so that for the first time the collision attack can be fairly compared with other standard side channel distinguishers. The efficiency of this attack has been verified by experiments on an unprotected microcontroller implementation of AES. Its immunity to modeling errors is confirmed through simulation of a broad range of leakage functions.
Suppression of Plk3 expression by Ni(II) may contribute to nickel carcinogenesis in the lung

Exposure to nickel (Ni) compounds is known to induce human lung malignancies. Research shows that Ni induces lung tumorigenesis mainly through epigenetic and metabolic pathways. Polo-like kinase 3 (Plk3) is a protein kinase that has been implicated in lung tumorigenesis. In this study, we examined the effect of Ni on Plk3 in A549 lung carcinoma cells. We find that NiCl2 lowers the Plk3 protein level in time- and dose-dependent manners. A549 cells treated with cycloheximide in the presence or absence of NiCl2 exhibited significantly reduced levels and the half-life of the Plk3 protein. In addition, A549 cells treated with MG132 partially reversed the effect of NiCl2 on the Plk3 protein level. Our experiments also revealed that majority of the endogenous Plk3 protein is located in the cytoplasm where degradation of Plk3 appears to occur. Transfection of A549 cells with FLAG-tagged ubiquitin (Ub) followed by treatment with NiCl2 and/or MG132, immunoprecipitation with an anti-FLAG antibody, and Western blot w...
Lifetime characteristics of magnet wires under multistress conditions

The objective of this paper is to present the results of a study on the effect of multistress on the lifetime characteristics of magnet wires. The enamel coating on a magnet wire is subjected to multistress aging factors such as electrical, thermal and other environmental stresses. In order to identify the most important factors that contribute to the lifetime of the electrical insulation, the insulation must be evaluated under simulated service conditions. Lifetime analysis provides us with statistical information such as lifetime characteristics, probability of failures and lifetime percentiles. Weibull distribution was used to model lifetime characteristics. Failure data of the aging tests is used to obtain parameters of the frequency-electrical-thermal life model. Accelerated life tests are performed on AWG 40 gauge Type B magnet wires. The life model used to describe the behavior of insulation in the presence of multistress can also be used to estimate the lifetime of magnet wires at any desired stress level.
Diagnostics in a high-density plasma generated by a pulsed electron beam

Summary form only given. At NRL, a 'Large Area Plasma Processing System' has been developed based on the high-energy electron beam (e-beam) ionization process, with the goal of modifying the surface properties of materials over large areas (/spl sim/1 square meter). The plasmas produced are high density (n/sub e/=10/sup 9/-10/sup 12/ cm/sup -3/) with low electron temperatures (T/sub e//spl ap/0.5 eV) and subsequently low plasma potentials at gas pressures of 10-150 mtorr. The plasmas well defined locally and temporally by the e-beam. In this presentation, temporally resolved measurements from Langmuir probes, microwave transmission, [energy resolved] ion mass spectrometry, and optical emission spectroscopy presented from plasmas formed by 2 keV e-beams operated for 1-6 milliseconds at 10-20% duty factors. Plasma parameters are correlated to e-beam energy and density measurements using a differentially pumped retarding field analyzer. A strong emphasis is placed on the experimental details of these measurements such as probe surface and chamber contamination, necessary support electronics, as well as the relevant physics associated with the wall or electrode placement in these low temperature high-density plasmas.
Exploring the adoption and use of the smartphone technology in emerging regions: A literature review and hypotheses development

There is a great enthusiasm with the prospect of big data among business and industry leaders, academia and researchers. A lot of big data tools and technologies have emerged recently to capture, store, process and analyze big data. One remarkable achievement is that a handful of open source technologies have been introduced by Apache Hadoop Foundation that allows any organization to undertake big data projects. Many big data projects have been implemented during the last few years. This paper explores the benefits achieved with those projects. Big data has been applied in diverse fields including scientific and medical discovery projects, studying social science phenomena, conducting meaningful observations of real-world phenomena and running analytics for healthcare and business. Many business organizations want to find new business opportunities such as fraud detection, customer sensitivity analysis, and new product offerings while some other business organizations are still pondering the long term value of big data investments. Business leaders and managers want to be sure that big data projects can deliver true value and provide long term benefits. This paper provides an account of how recent big data project initiatives have been successful in delivering business value and highlights what technology solutions are primarily used by those big data projects.
Hyaluronic Acid-decorated PLGA-PEG Nanoparticles for Targeted Delivery of SN-38 to Ovarian Cancer

Background Extreme hydrophobicity and poor stability of SN-38, a highly potent topoisomerase I inhibitor, has prevented its clinical use. Its encapsulation into nanoparticles may be a way to overcome these problems. Here we report the use of SN-38-loaded hyaluronic acid (HA)-decorated poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)-polyethylene glycol (PLGA-PEG) nanoparticles (NPs) for targeted ovarian cancer therapy. Materials and methods PLGA-PEG nanoparticles loaded with SN-38 were prepared by single- emulsion (O/W) solvent evaporation method. HA was decorated onto the nanoparticles by 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide (EDC) coupling and the extent of HA conjugation was quantified by hexadecyltrimmethylammonium bromide (CTAB) assay. Cancer cell specificity of the NPs was determined by flow cytometry and cytotoxicity of the NPs was tested by 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium (MTT) bromide assay. Results Mean size, zeta potential and encapsulation efficiency of PLGA-PEG-HA NPs were 265.6 ± 3.8 nm, -30.4 ± 0.1 mV and 75.8 ± 4.1%, respectively. Cellular uptake of PLGA-PEG-HA NPs was 8- and 16-fold higher in CD44-positive cell lines, SKOV-3 and OVCAR-8, as compared to CD44-negative cells (CHO). Cytotoxicity of the targeted NPs was significantly higher as compared to non-targeted NPs for the above cell lines. These results suggest that PLGA-PEG-HA NPs could be an efficient delivery system for SN-38 for targeted therapy of ovarian cancer.
Bartering Games in the Kolm Triangle

We study a public good mechanism that possesses several attractive properties. In particular, the mechanism always produces feasible allocations, induces a game where the Nash equilibria are all individually rational, and, in contrast to the voluntary contribution mechanism, supports the Lindahl allocation as a Nash equilibrium allocation. The geometric framework of the Kolm triangle is employed to illustrate the workings of the mechanism and provide intuition for the main results.
Surviving the Shadows: A Journey of Hope Into Post-Traumatic Stress, by B. Delaney and D. Scheiber

Given the authors' endorsement of the healing that occurs when individuals with similar histories share their traumatic experiences (termed peer-to-peer therapy in this book), it is unsurprising th...
Relation of Various Factors to the Breeding Efficiency of Dairy Animals and to the Sex Ratio of the Offspring

Summary The breeding records of the Bureau of Dairy Industry herd at Beltsville, Md., have been studied from the standpoint of breeding efficiency and sex ratio of offspring as influenced by the ages of the cows and bulls and by the season of the year. The sires showed a gradual lessening of breeding efficiency with advancing age, with the exception of the 7-year-old group. No explanation can be offered for the decrease that occurred in number of services per conception at this age. After the first gestation, age had little apparent effect upon the breeding efficiency of the cows. Heifers being bred for the first time required more services than the older cows. Bulls over 5 years of age showed a distinctly higher number of services per conception than did young bulls when bred to heifers being bred for their first gestation. Young bulls that were bred exclusively to virgin heifers proved even more efficient than the whole group of young bulls. Breeding efficiency of the cows was not appreciably affected by length of calving interval. The most noticeable effect of season on breeding efficiency was the relatively large number of services required for conception during midsummer, followed by a sharp decrease in the fall. Data showing the yearly variation in breeding efficiency indicate that there was a tendency for the years of lowest breeding efficiency to follow years when the percentage of abortions was highest. A tabulation of the complete breeding life histories of 725 cows in the Beltsville herd indicates the probable breeding losses in a dairy herd from various causes. There is no evidence that any of the factors studied influenced the sex ratio of the offspring.
Insulin stimulates the phosphorylation of the 95,000-dalton subunit of its own receptor

Cultured human lymphocytes and rat hepatoma cells were labeled with [32P]orthophosphate and the insulin receptor subunits identified by immunoprecipitation and sodium dodecyl sulfate-gel electrophoreses. In both cell types the 95,000-dalton (beta) subunit of the insulin receptor was selectively phosphorylated. Phosphorylation was specifically stimulated by insulin in a dose-dependent fashion after 1 and 15 minutes of hormone treatment, whereas human growth hormone was without effect. This phosphorylation may be a very early event in insulin action.
Thermal Stability of Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons and the Polarographic Half-wave Reduction Potential

WE have noted a relation of the thermal stability of certain polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons to the polarographic half-wave potential. In attempting to find some theoretical justification for this relation, it was found that Bergman1 had related the E1/2 to the ‘p’ ultra-violet band as determined by Clar2. Also, Basu3 has related the E1/2 to the lowest unoccupied energy orbital. Thermal stabilities were determined by Madison4 by pyrolysis followed by mass spectrometric analysis of the gas phase products. Table 1 presents the composite data: there the compounds are grouped into classes on the basis of Bergman's classification. The groups have theoretical justification in so far as that compounds of the same class plot linearly with respect to E1/2 versus ‘p’ band frequency. Further, comparisons are valid: (a) if the compounds are planar molecules of the same class; and/or (b) if the compounds are members of an anellation series (for example, naphthalene, anthracene, naphthacene).
Real space refinement of neutron diffraction data from sperm whale carbonmonoxymyoglobin.

Abstract Neutron diffraction data from crystals of sperm whale carbonmonoxymyoglobin have been refined by the real space refinement technique. Estimates of the neutron occupancies at the end of the refinement show that the mean for each atom type (including hydrogen and deuterium) is close to the expected value and has a standard deviation from the mean of about 5%. Mean neutron occupancies of main-chain atoms involved in deuterium bonds versus those not involved in deuterium bonds demonstrate that the hydrogen/deuterium exchange of the latter group is higher. The oxygen and deuterium co-ordinates for 40 water molecules have been determined: 27 of these water molecules were involved in bridges between protein atoms, and nine were involved in deuterium bonds with main-chain atoms. The deuterium-bond angles in helical regions show significant deviations from linearity. The mean ND … O angle was 154(3) ° † and the mean CO … D angle was 145(3) °.
Changes to herbaceous plant communities on a regulated desert river

Riparian plant communities are shaped by gradients of disturbance intensity and frequency and resource availability. Reservoir operation can alter the composition and abundance of riparian vegetation by changing the flood regime and by trapping fine sediments and associated nutrients within the reservoir system. We examined differences in herbaceous species richness, abundance and composition in Populus-Salix stands along an unregulated and regulated reach of a river in semi-arid Arizona, contrasted flood inundation frequency and edaphic conditions (soil moisture, nutrients and texture) between the reaches, and interpreted the vegetation differences in light of observed differences in environmental conditions. Flooding frequency was similar between reaches, but the proportion of fine textured soils in the unregulated reach was nearly double that of the regulated reach and soil nutrient levels were up to three times higher in the unregulated reach. Herbaceous cover and richness were consistently lower in the regulated reach, with between-reach differences greatest during dry seasons. These patterns suggest that an edaphic-based change in resource availability is the principal pathway by which river damming is altering herbaceous vegetation in this system. Our results demonstrate that sediment transport within riparian corridors is important for maintenance of herbaceous communities and that restoration of flow regimes alone may be insufficient to restore herbaceous flora on some regulated reaches. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A mechanism for sulphite ion reacting with vitamin B1 and its analogues

Abstract Sulphite ion has been shown to react by a multi-step mechanism with thiamine, 1'-methylthiaminium ion and various thiamine analogues. Sulphite ion replaces the thiazole-leaving group of a thiamine and a pyridine or a phenoxy group of an analogue. Sulphite ion first adds to the pyrimidinium ring, and this is followed by expulsion of the leaving group. The resultant cationic intermediate then reacts with a second sulphite ion; the observed pyrimidine substitution product forms after expulsion of the first sulphite ion. Although substitution is usually first order in the sulphite ion, the required second-order kinetics in sulphite ions have been demonstrated under special conditions. When the leaving group is a pyridine, the rate-limiting step is expulsion of the pyridine, but when the leaving group is a phenoxide ion, addition of the first sulphite ion is rate limiting. Hydroxide ion reacts with thiamine analogues by a similar multi-step mechanism. Second-order rate constants for hydroxide ion are slightly greater than those for sulphite ion. Sulphite ion is shown to be ‘special’ because it is a weak base, a strong nucleophile and a poor leaving group.
Characterization of lead and arsenic contamination at Barber Orchard, Haywood County, NC

Abstract Barber Orchard is a residential community in Western North Carolina that was declared a U.S. EPA Superfund Site in September 2001 because of elevated levels of arsenic, lead, and organochlorine compounds in the soil. The contamination was introduced by pesticides (e.g., lead arsenate, DDT) when the land was employed as an apple orchard. Concentration levels of lead and arsenic in soil were measured throughout two plots by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. A linear relationship was observed between the moles of lead and arsenic. Sequential extraction procedures were employed to characterize the mobility and bioavailability of the metals. The major forms of both elements were bound to iron–manganese oxides. In general, the relative composition of the metal species did not statistically vary with depth, although higher concentration levels were observed near the surface. Brake ferns (Pteris vittata) were employed in greenhouse phytoremediation experiments employing soil which had been homogenized to a uniform concentration level. Considerable variation was observed in the amount of arsenic absorbed by the ferns.
Studies on Avian Fat Composition: 2. The Selective Utilization of Fatty Acids by the Chick Embryo

Abstract THE fat of the yolk of the avian egg serves as an energy source for the developing embryo, and the fact that its composition can be materially influenced by certain nutritional factors may be significant in embryonic nutrition according to Cruickshank (1934). It has been shown that polyunsaturated acids are essential nutrients in the growth of chicks (Reiser, 1950b, c). The fatty acids contained in the egg yolk of hens on low-fat or fat-free diets tend to be more saturated than the egg yolks of hens on a diet containing fat. However, the egg yolk fat from hens on the fat-free diet never becomes completely devoid of unsaturated acids as was shown by Reiser (1950a) and Feigenbaum and Fisher (1959). Thus the synthesis of the unsaturated acids from nonfat precursors suggests that the unsaturated acids might possibly be essential for embryo development. Information was acquired very early on the fat…
Intended and Unintended Effects of Corrective Advertising on Beliefs and Evaluations: An Exploratory Analysis

This research examined the effects of corrective advertising (advertising that corrects for previously made ad claims found to be deceptive) on brand and advertiser evaluations. Experiment 1 showed that brand evaluations were less favorable after (vs. before) company-sponsored corrective advertising when prior evaluations of the advertiser were negative, but not when they were positive. On the other hand, advertiser evaluations were less favorable after corrective advertising when prior evaluations of the advertiser were positive, but not when they were negative. Experiment 2 was designed to examine the mechanisms underlying these effects. Brand beliefs and cognitive responses to the corrective ad were found to mediate the effects of prior advertiser evaluations on brand evaluations. Advertiser evaluations were affected by cognitive and affective responses made to the corrective ad. Implications of these findings are discussed.
Oligoribonucleotide circularization by ‘template-mediated’ ligation with T4 RNA ligase: Synthesis of circular hammerhead ribozymes

Circular hammerhead ribozymes were synthesized from linear oligoribonucleotides using T4 RNA ligase. Some of the precursors could not be efficiently circularized under standard conditions. For these molecules, the use of a DNA template allowed their efficient circularization. The template was designed to prevent the precursor from folding into an unsuitable structure. The template allowed circular ribozymes as small as 15 nucleotides in length to be efficiently synthesized at concentrations as high as 50 microM in the ligation reaction. The circular products retained their biological activity.