cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Electrochemical antifouling technology for replacement of heavy metal and organic biocides in marine hydrokinetic energy generation

Marine hydrokinetic (MHK) technologies attempt to recover the abundant energy source in the world's oceans and the advancement of these technologies forms the core of the activities of the Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center (NNMREC - a Department of Energy sponsored partnership between Oregon State University and the University of Washington). MHK devices in the ocean environment can experience functional problems due to the attachment and growth of living organisms on manmade surfaces, usually termed biofouling, and thus an important thrust of NNMREC's activities focuses on long term solutions for this problem. In conventional hulls, prevention and mitigation of the effects of biofouling is effected through the use of biocidal coatings, though usually with short maintenance cycles in the order of 5 years. Long term solutions for biofouling prevention with decreasing maintenance requirements need to be developed and tested for reliability. This paper presents the antifouling work on electrochemically protected surfaces and results on the accelerated aging of this technology for periods on the order of 20 years.
Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) spectral response characterizations

Spectral Characterizations of the CERES thermistor bolometer is a critical factor in determining precisely the earth's radiant energy budget. CERES bolometers are used in studying the balance between the incoming solar radiation from the sun, the scattered and reflected solar radiation, and the longwave-emitted radiation from the earth. To account for the different frequencies, the CERES instrument contains three thermistor bolometer channels; total channel (0.3 -> 2OO-µm), shortwave channel (0.3 — 5-µm), and window channel (8 — 12-µm). Information on the CERES sensor spectral response is required for their radiometric calibrations. The longwave infrared region (2 - > 2OO-µm) spectral measurements were collected and measured in the TRW Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) vacuum chamber facility. In this paper, in addition to a general review of the concept; the algorithms and procedures are presented which were used to characterize spectrally the sensors' responses. These sensitive modifications are contained both in the shortwave and the longwave regions of the spectral response. Such changes include modifications to the method of analyzing the raw FTS data to produce the longwave region of the spectral response. Other factors which affect the spectral response, such as the Transfer Active Cavity Radiometer's (TACR) calibration data reduction method will also be analyzed.
Electroencephalographic changes and classical aversive conditioning in the cat

Abstract Changes in driving to the CS (flashing light), in various brain areas, associated with classical aversive conditioning (leg flexion) were studied in cats. Driving was defined as EEG rhythms at the frequency of the CS or its second harmonic, and was quantified through the use of an electronic resonator-integrator system. Group C (conditioning) animals (CS-US interval, 500 msec) gave consistent conditioned leg flexions within the 150 trials. Group S (sensitization) animals (CS-US interval, 4–5 sec) showed no conditioned flexions. Group C animals showed significant increases in driving from nucleus ventralis anterior thalami and the cortical projection area (sensory) of the US during training. Group S animals showed a smaller increase in driving from nucleus ventralis anterior thalami and an inverted-U trend from the posterior sigmoid gyrus. Three Group S animals showed a late rise in driving from the dorsal hippocampus. No trend developed in either group for the cortical projection area of the CS. A model is proposed relating reticular formation and hypothalamus to tonic alerting and emotional responses. Hippocampus, and perhaps other limbic structures, are linked with factors developing early in learning, e.g., phasic alerting or “orienting.” Later occurring changes in the anterior thalamus and the cortical projection of the US are discussed relative to the final economy of overt responding.
Photoresponsive oil sorbers

A photoresponsive oil sorber (POS) with a hydrophobic, photoresponsive core and shell has been synthesized via suspension polymerization. Lauryl acrylate, isodecyl acrylate, and tert-butylstyrene were used as monomers, 4-(methacrylamino)azobenzene (Azo-M) used as photoresponsive monomer, and bis(methacryloylamino)azobenzene (Azo-CL-M) used as photoresponsive surface crosslinker. The POS prefers nonpolar solvents. It absorbed 15 times its dry weight in toluene, 19 times its dry weight in chloroform, and 16 times its dry weight in dichloromethane. Rapid and photoresponsive desorption of solvent (86% of solvent expulsed in 30 min) was characteristic. POS is an excellent gasoline absorber rapidly increasing its body weight in its presence. The new POS is less dense than water, and can potentially be used for cleaning oil spills on water.
Cigarette advertising and promotional strategies in retail outlets: results of a statewide survey in California

OBJECTIVE—To examine the extent and types of cigarette advertising materials in stores and to assess tobacco company compliance with the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement (MSA). DESIGN—A cross-sectional analysis of a random sample of 586 stores that sold cigarettes. SETTING— US state of California. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES—Trained data collectors classified cigarette advertising materials by type (signs, displays, functional items), location (interior or exterior), and placement (below 3 feet (1 m) or near candy). RESULTS—California retail outlets featured 17.2 (SD 16.1) tobacco advertising materials on average, and 94% of stores featured at least some advertising. About 85% of these were within 4 feet (1.3 m) of the counter. About 50% of the stores had ads at or below 3 feet, and 23% had cigarette product displays next to candy. In violation of the MSA, 3% of stores featured signs with cartoons and 11% had large exterior signs. CONCLUSIONS—Tobacco companies are aggressively using stores to market cigarettes. Moreover, the spirit of the MSA—to protect children from cigarette advertising—has not been realised. Future studies should monitor industry use of this venue and assess the impact of exposure to cigarette advertising materials in stores on adult smokers and youth. Keywords: advertising; point-of-sale advertising; tobacco industry
Three-dimensionally resolved NAD(P)H cellular metabolic redox imaging of the in situ cornea with two-photon excitation laser scanning microscopy.

Summary Three-dimensional maps of cellular metabolic oxidation/reduction states of rabbit cornea in situ were obtained by imaging the fluorescence of the naturally occurring reduced pyridine nucleotides (both reduced nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide, NADH, and reduced nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide phosphate, NADPH, denoted here as NAD(P)H). Autofluorescence images with submicrometre lateral resolution were obtained throughout the entire 400 μm thickness of the cornea. Two-photon excitation scanning laser microscopy with near-infrared excitation provided high fluorescence collection efficiency, reduced photodamage, and eliminated ultraviolet chromatic aberration, all of which have previously degraded the visualization of pyridine nucleotide fluorescence. Sharp autofluorescence images of the basal epithelium (40 μm within the cornea) show substantial subcellular detail, providing the ability to monitor autofluorescence intensity changes over time, which reflect changes in oxidative metabolism and cellular dynamics necessary for maintenance of the ocular surface. The autofluorescence was confirmed to be mostly of NAD(P)H origin by cyanide exposure, which increased the fluorescence from all cell types in the cornea by about a factor of two. Autofluorescence images of individual keratocytes in the stroma were observed only after cyanide treatment, while in the predominant extracellular collagen (> 90% of the stromal volume), fluorescence was not distinguished from the background. Observation of keratocyte metabolism demonstrates the sensitivity made available by two-photon microscopy for future redox fluorescence imaging of cellular metabolic states.
The future of silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology in microelectronic systems

After many years of materials development and circuit research, silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology clearly has become a viable approach for high performance microelectronics. As semiconductor technology continues to scale, the value of an SOI materials platform continues to expand. It has become a key technology to enable a new class of micro-scale functionality, through 3-D circuits and mixed technology integration.
One more step in the direction of modularized integration concerns

Component integration creates value by automating the costly and error-prone task of imposing desired behavioral relationships on components manually. Requirements for component integration, however, complicate software design and evolution in several ways: first, they lead to coupling among components; second, the code that implements various integration concerns in a system is often scattered over and tangled with the code implementing the component behaviors. Straightforward software design techniques map integration requirements to scattered and tangled code, compromising modularity in ways that dramatically increase development and maintenance costs.
G1/S PHOSPHORYLATION OF THE RETINOBLASTOMA PROTEIN IS ASSOCIATED WITH AN ALTERED AFFINITY FOR THE NUCLEAR COMPARTMENT

Hyperphosphorylation of the retinoblastoma protein (pRB) is assumed to be a regulatory event leading to the inactivation of its growth-repressing functions. We demonstrate a functional alteration linked to the phosphorylation status of the protein. The un- or under-phosphorylated species are tightly associated with the nuclear structure. The association is resistant to digestion with nucleases, and release requires elevated salt concentrations. In contrast, the hyperphosphorylated species are eluted under hypotonic buffer conditions. The conversion from low salt-resistant to low salt-extractable pRB occurs with transition through the G1/S boundary of the cell cycle and thus parallels the reported onset of pRB phosphorylation. The ability to form a tight nuclear association is impaired in several naturally occurring pRB mutants, all of which show alterations within the binding region for viral oncoproteins. We suggest that the tight nuclear interaction is essential for the growth-regulating functions of pRB and may be preempted by viral oncoproteins.
234U/230TH Ratio as an Indicator of Redox State, and U, TH, and RA Behavior in Briney Aquifers

The /sup 234/U//sup 230/Th ratio serves as an in-situ indicator of the redox state in groundwater aquifers. The higher this ratio, the more U there is in the +6 state and thus a lesser reducing environment. Radium is retarded in the shallow aquifer and its sorption is dependent on the CaSO/sub 4/ content and redox state. Relative to Ra, U and Th are highly sorbed. The total retardation factor for Th is approx.1400 and mean sorption time for /sup 228/Th is approx.10 days in the shallow zone. The desorption rate of Ra is significantly slower in the shallow than in the deep aquifer. There is no effect of colloids in brines. 6 refs., 5 figs., 2 tabs.
A Psychometric Evaluation of the Six-Factor Self-Concept Scale in a Sample of Racial/Ethnic Minority Women:

The Six-Factor Self-Concept Scale (SFSCS) is a multidimensional measure for adults developed and tested with primarily Euro-American samples. This study investigated the psychometric properties of the SFSCS in a diverse sample of racial/ethnic minority college women including African American, Asian American, Latina, and Native American participants. The study compared scale internal consistencies, intercorrelations, normative data, and factor structure for this sample to previously reported findings. This study also looked at the relationship of SFSCS scores to global self-esteem for both the sample as a whole and within ethnic group. Results supported the reliability and construct validity of the subscale scores of the instrument in use with American racial/ethnic minority college women as well as the potential usefulness of SFSCS for studying ethnic and cultural differences.
Early History and Challenges of Implantable Electronics

Implantable systems for biomedical research and clinical care are now a flourishing field of activities in academia as well as industrial institutions. The broad field includes experimental explorations in electronics, mechanical, chemical, and biological components and systems, and the combination of all these. Today virtually all implants involve both electronic circuits and micro-electro-mechanical-systems (MEMS). This article offers a very brief glance back at the early history of implant electronics in the period from the 1950s to the 1970s, by employing selected examples from the author’s research. This short review also discusses the challenges of implantable electronics at present, and suggests some potentially important trends in the future research and development of implantable microsystems. It is aimed as an introduction of implantable/attached electronic systems to research engineers that are interested in implantable systems as a section of Biomedical Instrumentations.
THE FRUSTRATIONS OF A MEXICAN MINE UNDER U.S. OWNERSHIP

(1993). The Frustrations of a Mexican Mine Under U.S. Ownership. The Historian: Vol. 55, No. 3, pp. 483-500.
STUDIES IN BLOOD COAGULATION : II. BLOOD COAGULABILITY IN MALIGNANT TUMOR AND OTHER DISEASES OF THE RABBIT.

Description is given of changes in blood coagulability found in diseases of the rabbit, including malignant tumor, spontaneous infections, non-bacterial diseases and lesions, and hemorrhagic states specifically induced. The changes involved variously the time of onset of blood coagulation, clot formation rate and the rate and extent of clot retraction.
New binary covering codes obtained by simulated annealing

New binary covering codes of radius 1, obtained by simulated annealing, are presented. These constructions establish that K(9, 1)/spl les/62 and K(12, 1)/spl les/380. The article is concerned with finding upper bounds on K(n,R), the minimum cardinality of any binary code of length n and with covering radius R.
Differential current switch—high performance at low power

The recent IBM System/390™ announcement includes six high-performance air-cooled models that use a low-power variation of emitter-coupled logic (ECL). This new logic family, called differential current switch (DCS), uses differential signal pairs to represent logic signals, and combines two-level cascode logic with dotting to implement a complete set of logic circuits. These DCS circuits are described in detail, and the relative value of the DCS and ECL logic families is discussed extensively.
Translational Behavior Analysis and Practical Benefits

In his article, Critchfield (2011) summarizes a previous call (Mace & Critchfield, 2010) for basic scientists to reexamine the inspiration for their research and turn increasingly to translational approaches. Interestingly, rather than present an argument for the direct improvements to our science that might follow from a translational approach (a makeable case, though beyond the scope of the present commentary), Critchfield focuses instead on the social context in which our work takes place. He suggests that in a “world dominated by practical interests” (p. 6), investments in science are judged in terms of “practical benefits” (p. 4) and “social impact” (p. 3), and that translational research is necessary to “influence society's appreciation of basic science efforts” (p. 6). The call then is for a modified scientific agenda for basic researchers, with the modifications designed to enhance public relations.
Improving Gene-finding in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii:GreenGenie2

Background: The availability of whole-genome sequences allows for the identification of the entire set of protein coding genes as well as their regulatory regions. This can be accomplished using multiple complementary methods that include ESTs, homology searches and ab initio gene predictions. Previously, the Genie gene-finding algorithm was trained on a small set of Chlamydomonas genes and shown to improve the accuracy of gene prediction in this species compared to other available programs. To improve ab initio gene finding in Chlamydomonas, we assemble a new training set consisting of over 2,300 cDNAs by assembling over 167,000 Chlamydomonas EST entries in GenBank using the EST assembly tool PASA. Results: The prediction accuracy of our cDNA-trained gene-finder, GreenGenie2, attains 83% sensitivity and 83% specificity for exons on short-sequence predictions. We predict about 12,000 genes in the version v3 Chlamydomonas genome assembly, most of which (78%) are either identical to or significantly overlap the published catalog of Chlamydomonas genes [1]. 22% of the published catalog is absent from the GreenGenie2 predictions; there is also a fraction (23%) of GreenGenie2 predictions that are absent from the published gene catalog. Randomly chosen gene models were tested by RT-PCR and most support the GreenGenie2 predictions. Conclusion: These data suggest that training with EST assemblies is highly effective and that GreenGenie2 is a valuable, complementary tool for predicting genes in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.
Women as Anti-Zionist Figures in Yigal Mossinsohn's Palmah Fiction

The generation of authors who grew up in the 1920s and began to publish in the mid and late 1940s gives expression to the socialist Zionist ideology that predominated in pre-state Israel. Social Zionism and the ethos of national Jewish revival were intertwined with notions of male and female sexuality. The most explicit association between female sexuality and her innate difference from the national struggle for survival and independence is expressed in the works of Yigal Mossinsohn. This article analyzes the ways in which Mossinsohn constructs women as an aggregate Other.
Influence of NaCl and CaCl2 on Cold‐Set Gelation of Heat‐denatured Whey Protein

Heat-denatured whey-protein isolate (HD-WPI) solutions were prepared by heating a 10 wt% WPI solution (pH 7) to 80°C for 10 min and then cooling it back to 30 °C. Cold-set gelation was initiated by adding either NaCl (0 to 400 mM) or CaCl 2 (0 to 15 mM). Both salts increased the turbidity and rigidity of the HD-WPI solutions. Gelation rate and final gel strength increased with salt concentration and were greater for CaCl 2 than NaCl at the same concentration because the former is more effective at screening electrostatic interactions and can form salt bridges.
Early detection of malignant melanoma: The role of physician examination and self‐examination of the skin

The combination of routine physician examination of the skin coupled with self-examination provides a realistic opportunity for the identification of early malignant melanomas. Removal of such thin lesions can significantly reduce the mortality rate from this potentially serious form of cutaneous cancer.
Metering and accounting for composite e-services

Software services are emerging as the dominant component technology for distributed applications. Using standardized interfaces, clients can remotely access functionality or resources offered by service providers. In e-commerce applications, often such services will be fee-based. Usage metering and Accounting thus form important components of an e-services infrastructure. The metering and accounting problem takes on added complexity with composite e-services - higher-level services built using simpler underlying services, each of which may be independently owned. We present an architecture for the metering and accounting of composite service usage.
Incorporating Object-Orientedness in Transformations from Live Sequence Charts to Colored Petri Nets

This paper presents an approach of automatic model checking in the requirement model of a software system known as live sequence charts by transforming the behavior into colored Petri nets. The technique of combining objects and colored Petri nets is used to provide a robust mechanism for the model checking which serves towards research in code generation from the software requirement model. Two major concepts: objects inside Petri nets and Petri nets inside objects are used in the composed colored Petri nets model to monitor the object's state during system run and to check individual object's behavior when interacting with other objects respectively.
Judging a Book by its Cover: Beauty and Expectations in a Trust Game

This research examines one mechanism by which people decide whether to trust strangers. Using a laboratory setting that provides subjects with controlled information about their counterparts, we test whether attractive subjects gain a “beauty premium” in a game involving trust and reciprocity. Attractive trustees are viewed as more trustworthy; they are trusted at higher rates and as a consequence earn more in the first stage of the game. Attractiveness does not guarantee higher earnings, as we find a “beauty penalty” attached to attractive trusters in the second stage of the game. This penalty arises because attractive trusters do not live up to expectations of them on the part of the trustees. Trustees withhold repayment when their expectations are dashed. This punishment is larger when the disappointing truster is attractive.
A game-theoretical approach for designing market trading strategies

Investors are always looking for good stock market trading strategies to maximize their profit. Under the technical school of thought trading rules are developed by studying historical market data to find trends that investors can exploit. These market trends tend to appear when certain features (narrow range, DOJI, etc.) appear in the historical data. Unfortunately, these features often appear only in partial form, which makes trend analysis challenging. In the paper we co-evolve fuzzy trading rules from market trend features. We show how fuzzy membership functions naturally handle partial form features in historical data. The co-evolutionary process is formulated as a zero-sum, competitive game to match how trading strategies are evaluated by brokerage firms. Our experimental results indicate the co-evolutionary process creates trading rule-bases that produce positive returns when evaluated using actual stock market data.
Discussion of Foreign Ownership and Real Earnings Management: Evidence from Japan

ABSTRACT: Guo, Huang, Zhang, and Zhou (2015) examine whether foreign investors encourage or limit real earnings management in Japanese firms. They find that firms with higher foreign ownership engage less in real earnings management than other firms as evidenced by higher abnormal cash flows from operations, lower abnormal production costs, and higher abnormal discretionary expenses. While the results suggest that foreign ownership and real earnings management in Japanese firms are negatively correlated, it remains unclear whether foreign investors improve the corporate governance of firms and thus limit real earnings management or that they are attracted to firms that have better governance and more transparent earnings. One fruitful avenue for future research is to examine whether the negative relation between foreign ownership and financial reporting quality reflects monitoring by foreign investors or selection.
Non-operative management of femoroacetabular impingement: A prospective, randomized controlled clinical trial pilot study

Abstract Objectives To determine the efficacy of physical therapy on pain and physical function in patients with femoroacetabular impingement. Design Randomized, participant- and assessor blinded controlled trial pilot study. Methods This trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01814124) and reported according to Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) requirements. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either a combination of manual therapy and supervised exercise (MTEX), plus advice and home exercise or advice and home exercise alone (Ad+HEP) over six weeks. Primary outcomes were average pain (Visual Analog Scale) and physical function (Hip Outcome Score) at week seven. Results Fifteen patients, mean age 33.7 (SD 9.5, 73% female) satisfied the eligibility criteria and completed week seven measurements. The between group differences for changes in pain or physical function were not significant. Both groups showed statistically significant improvements in pain: the MTEX group improved a mean of 17.6mm and the Ad+HEP group, 18.0mm. Conclusions The results of this pilot study provide preliminary evidence that symptomatic femoroacetabular impingement may be amenable to conservative treatment strategies however further full-scale randomized controlled trials are required to demonstrate this. In this small pilot study, supervised manual therapy and exercise did not result in greater improvement in pain or function compared to advice and home exercise in patients with symptomatic femoroacetabular impingement.
Implications of marketing capability and research and development intensity on firm default risk

ABSTRACTMarketing capability and research and development intensity are firm resources used to increase firm performance and reduce investor risk. This study aims to link marketing capability and research and development intensity, and their interaction to firm default risk. This study is the first to examine marketing capability and research and development intensity regarding their influences on firm default vulnerability and to demonstrate how marketing capability may strengthen research and development intensities’ power on risk reduction. The results reveal a U-shaped relationship between research and development intensity and firm default risk, while marketing capability’s impact is unidirectional. Further, marketing capability strongly moderates the relationship between research and development intensity and firm default risk. For low marketing capability firms, the U-shaped pattern is more significant. For high marketing capability firms, the pattern is not salient and the risk reduction power of ...
Noninvasive Positive-Pressure Ventilation in the Management of Respiratory Distress in Cardiac Diseases

Noninvasive ventilation (NIV) is the application of respiratory support without the use of endotracheal intubation. The beneficial effects of NIV can be seen in multiple pulmonary and cardiovascular pathophysiologic states. Although NIV is somewhat better studied in primary pulmonary than in cardiovascular diseases, both experience and data show definite utility in its appropriate application to respiratory distress in the acute cardiac patient. This chapter focuses on cardiogenic pulmonary edema, congestive heart failure, and the cardiothoracic surgical patient (including coronary artery bypass grafts, valvular heart disease, and percutaneous interventions), and discusses and examines both continuous positive airway pressure and bi-level positive airway pressure.
Impact of Bottleneck Merge Control Strategies on Freeway Level of Service

Freeway work zones typically mandate lane closures that often induce bottlenecks. Merge maneuvers and the accompanying increase in the rate of lane changes at these bottlenecks can become problematic resulting in undesirable mobility and safety impacts. Traditionally, merge control strategies are deployed to mitigate such impacts. Literature sources indicate that available merge control strategies fall into one of four categories, namely: (i) early merge control, (ii) late merge control, (iii) temporary ramp metering, and (iv) mainline merge metering. However, little is known about the proper criteria for selecting and implementing one of the available merge control strategies. In addition, the impact of the various control strategies on freeway Level of Service (LOS) is currently under-researched. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the operational impacts of the above-mentioned freeway merge control strategies. The goal is to provide work-zone-aware LOS indicators that would help transportation agencies in selecting the most appropriate merge control strategy to minimally impact the freeway operations. In order to meet the research goals and objectives, this study used the CORSIM micro-simulation platform to evaluate impacts of various merge control strategies at a freeway study corridor in Birmingham, AL. The 2010 Highway Capacity Manual methods for calculating LOS were considered and modifications were proposed to align the calculated LOS with the assessed impacts of each merge control strategy. This study is significant for its contribution to providing transportation researchers and professionals with tools and methods to evaluate freeway LOS under work zone conditions and assisting them in mitigating the adverse impacts of work zones on traffic operations.
The eicosanoids: cyclooxygenase, lipoxygenase, and epoxygenase pathways

Publisher Summary The term “eicosanoids” is used to denote a group of oxygenated, 20-carbon fatty acids. The major precursor of these compounds is arachidonic acid, and the pathways leading to the eicosanoids are known collectively as the “arachidonate cascade.” The major eicosanoids are products of ω-6 essential fatty acids, and the essentiality of this group of fatty acids relates primarily to their functions as eicosanoids. Because eicosanoid overproduction is associated with a number of pathologies, potent enzyme inhibitors and receptor antagonists have been developed that are widely used therapeutically. Both the prostanoids and the leukotrienes (LTs) were discovered as vasoactive substances active on reproductive and pulmonary smooth muscle, respectively. The LTs were known initially as slow-reacting substances of anaphylaxis. The conversion of LTs into alternative structural entities is an important feature of the inactivation of these potent biologically active eicosanoids. The metabolism of LTs is rapid and the exact pathway depends upon whether the substrate is LTB4 or LTC4. LTB4 is rapidly metabolized through both oxidative and reductive pathways.
Ca L2,3-edge near edge X-ray absorption fine structure of tricalcium aluminate, gypsum, and calcium (sulfo)aluminate hydrates

Author(s): Geng, G; Myers, RJ; Kilcoyne, ALD; Ha, J; Monteiro, PJM | Abstract: Tricalcium aluminate (cement clinker phase), gypsum, katoite, ettringite, and calcium monosulfoaluminate hydrate (abbreviated as kuzelite) are the major minerals in the hydration reaction of tricalcium aluminate in the presence of gypsum and have critical impacts on the kinetics and thermodynamics of early-age cement hydration mechanisms. Here, spectroscopic analysis of these minerals is conducted using scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM). Their Ca L2,3-edge near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectra are measured and correlated to the known Ca coordination environments. The results indicate that these minerals have unique Ca environments that can be differentiated from one another based on the intensities and positions of the absorption peaks at 346.5-348.5 and 350.5-351.5 eV. It is concluded that Ca in tricalcium aluminate (cubic and orthorhombic polymorphs) and katoite is in cubic-like coordination with negative 10Dq, whereas Ca is in an octahedral-like coordination with positive 10Dq in ettringite, gypsum, and kuzelite. For tricalcium aluminate, the Ca atoms in both polymorphs are in similar chemical environments with slightly more distortion in the orthorhombic polymorph. As a common issue in STXM experiments, absorption saturation of NEXAFS spectra is also investigated. It is demonstrated that the optical density difference between pre- and post-edge absorption levels provides a reliable indication of the sample thickness in the systems studied. The present work provides a reference for the STXM study of the calcium (sulfo)aluminate reactions in cement hydration and natural aqueous environments, and in the former case, provides a more complete understanding of a system that may serve as a low-C alternative to Portland cement.
A Lower Bound for Equitable Cake Cutting

We are interested in the problem of dividing a cake -- a heterogeneous divisible good -- among n players, in a way that is e-equitable: every pair of players must have the same value for their own allocated pieces, up to a difference of at most e. It is known that such allocations can be computed using O(n ln(1/e)) operations in the standard Robertson-Webb Model. We establish a lower bound of Ω(ln(1/e)/lnln(1/e)) on the complexity of this problem, which is almost tight for a constant number of players. Importantly, our result implies that allocations that are exactly equitable cannot be computed.
Early Postnatal Secondhand Smoke Exposure Disrupts Bacterial Clearance and Abolishes Immune Responses in Muco-Obstructive Lung Disease

Secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure has been linked to the worsening of ongoing lung diseases. However, whether SHS exposure affects the manifestation and natural history of imminent pediatric muco-obstructive airway diseases such as cystic fibrosis remains unclear. To address these questions, we exposed Scnn1b transgenic ( Scnn1b -Tg + ) mice to SHS from postnatal day (PND) 3–21 and lung phenotypes were examined at PND22. Although a majority of filtered air (FA)-exposed Scnn1b -Tg + (FA-Tg + ) mice successfully cleared spontaneous bacterial infections by PND22, the SHS-exposed Scnn1b -Tg + (SHS-Tg + ) mice failed to resolve these infections. This defect was associated with suppressed antibacterial defenses, i.e., phagocyte recruitment, IgA secretion, and Muc5b expression. Whereas the FA-Tg + mice exhibited marked mucus obstruction and Th2 responses, SHS-Tg + mice displayed a dramatic suppression of these responses. Mechanistically, downregulated expression of IL-33, a stimulator of type II innate lymphoid cells, in lung epithelial cells was associated with suppression of neutrophil recruitment, IgA secretions, Th2 responses, and delayed bacterial clearance in SHS-Tg + mice. Cessation of SHS exposure for 21 d restored previously suppressed responses, including phagocyte recruitment, IgA secretion, and mucous cell metaplasia. However, in contrast with FA-Tg + mice, the SHS-Tg + mice had pronounced epithelial necrosis, alveolar space consolidation, and lymphoid hyperplasia; indicating lagged unfavorable effects of early postnatal SHS exposure in later life. Collectively, our data show that early postnatal SHS exposure reversibly suppresses IL-33 levels in airspaces which, in turn, results in reduced neutrophil recruitment and diminished Th2 response. Our data indicate that household smoking may predispose neonates with muco-obstructive lung disease to bacterial exacerbations.
Assessing corn water stress using spectral reflectance

Multiple remote-sensing techniques have been developed to identify crop-water stress; however, some methods may be difficult for farmers to apply. If spectral reflectance data can be used to monitor crop-water stress, growers could use this information as a quick low-cost guideline for irrigation management, thus helping save water by preventing over-irrigating and achieving desired crop yields. Data was collected in the 2013 growing season near Greeley, Colorado, where drip irrigation was used to irrigate 12 corn Zea mays L. treatments with varying water-deficit levels. Ground-based multispectral data were collected and three different vegetation indices were evaluated. These included the normalized difference vegetation index NDVI, the optimized soil-adjusted vegetation index OSAVI, and the Green normalized difference vegetation index GNDVI. The three vegetation indices were compared to water stress as indicated by the stress coefficient Ks, and water deficit in the root zone was calculated using a soil water balance. To compare the indices to Ks, vegetation ratios were developed from vegetation indices in the process of normalization. Vegetation ratios are defined as the non-stressed vegetation index divided by the stressed vegetation index. Results showed that vegetation ratios were sensitive to water stress as indicated by the good coefficient of determination R2 > 0.46 values and low root mean square error RMSE 0.63, and lower error values RMSE < 0.043 between Ks and the vegetation indices.
Relationship of Epilepsy and Sleep: Overview

Publisher Summary There is a very close relationship between epilepsy and sleep that has been recognized since antiquity. Cognizant of the intimate relationship that exists between sleep and epilepsy, many researches have classified seizures based on the time of occurrence of seizures with regard to the sleep–wake cycle, with three resultant groups—sleep epilepsy, waking epilepsy, and diffuse epilepsy with seizures occurring in both sleep and waking states. This chapter discusses that myoclonic and generalized tonic–clonic seizures occur characteristically in the morning in the first one to two hours after awakening. Clinical absence seizures are only detectable in the waking state and are often precipitated by photic stimulation or hyperventilation. Seizures originating from the frontal lobe show a tendency to occur preferentially during sleep. They also tend to have prominent motor manifestations and are likely to be recognized by the patient or family and friends. The patients with the most frequent seizures irrespective of the type are those who have the most sleep disturbances. Chloral hydrate is frequently the medication used, because it has a low potential for side effects.
HTTP message response time on destination node-driven routing for social MANET

The recent spread of mobile networks has paved the way for building a pervasive social networking (PSN) environment, which enables people to access social networking services (SNS) anytime and from anywhere. There have been extensive studies on MANETs (Mobile Ad-hoc NETworks), which use mobile terminals for relaying information. While the feasibility of using them as emergency networks in the aftermath of a disaster has been verified, no service targeted at ordinary users is provided. Since mobile terminals of strangers are used to relay information in MANETs, it is necessary to develop technologies that remove users' concerns about sniffing and data falsification and cultivate users' willingness to offer their mobile terminals for building a network. This paper evaluates destination node-driven routing to access Web sites via a social MANET which consists of mobile terminals of members of the same SNS group. Also, compared with conventional source node-driven routing, we show the superiority on HTTP message response time of the proposed routing.
Region-Specific Marginal Abatement Costs for Methane from Coal, Natural Gas, and Landfills Through 2030

Publisher Summary This chapter outlines a methodology that presents a bottom-up engineering approach for developing regional and sector-specific marginal abatement curves (MACs). The current analysis improves the estimates by incorporating better sector- or firm-level data. Instead of modeling abatement costs using average firm costs and applying the average cost to one representative firm in each country or region, this methodology applies specific costs to a distribution of representative firms or, in the case of natural gas, an estimated natural gas infrastructure in each country or region. The current analysis also moves away from the static estimates generated in the previous studies. In this analysis, energy prices change over time, engineering efficiencies of the abatement technologies improve over time, and the cost of abatement technologies decreases over time. In addition, the percentage of domestic inputs, both labor and capital, used in the abatement option increases over time for developing countries.
Empirical Research Methods in the Economics of Education

Economists use a range of empirical methods to establish causal relationships between education investments and valuable student or school outcomes. This article describes the intuition and pitfalls of common nonexperimental methods like regression analysis. It further explains methods increasingly applied by economists that might improve causal inference. These include randomized experiments, and quasi-experimental approaches including the regression-discontinuity design, instrumental variables, and difference-in-differences. The article provides examples from the recent empirical literature in the economics of education.
Chess Software for Linux

Once there was a time when chess software for the home was slow, weak and expensive. To find human opponents, you had to go to your local chess club. Today, the situations is different
Simulated Classrooms and Artificial Students: The Potential Effects of New Technologies on Teacher Education.

AbstractThis article describes and discusses how simulation activities can be used in teacher education to augment the traditional field-experience approach. Particular emphasis is given to the emergent technologies of artificial intelligence and virtual reality. The article includes an overview of simulation as a teaching and learning strategy and specific examples of high-technology simulations in development and in use. Media hype may promise more than virtual reality or artificial intelligence can presently deliver, but there are some promising developments that may affect teacher education.
Control Scheme and Uncertainty Considerations for Dynamic Balancing of Passive-Ankled Bipeds and Full Humanoids

We propose a methodology for dynamically balancing passive-ankled bipeds and full humanoids. As dynamic locomotion without ankle-actuation is more difficult than with actuated feet, our control scheme adopts an efficient whole-body controller that combines inverse kinematics, contact-consistent feed-forward torques, and low-level motor position controllers. To understand real-world sensing and controller requirements, we perform an uncertainty analysis on the linear-inverted-pendulum (LIP)-based footstep planner. This enables us to identify necessary hardware and control refinements to demonstrate that our controller can achieve long-term unsupported dynamic balancing on our series-elastic biped, Mercury. Through simulations, we also demonstrate that our control scheme for dynamic balancing with passive-ankles is applicable to full humanoid robots.
Percutaneous hepatic perfusion (PHP or ChemoSat) with melphalan versus best alternative care (BAC) in patients (pts) with hepatic metastases from melanoma: A post hoc analysis of PHP-randomized versus BAC-to-PHP crossover versus BAC-only pts.

8570 Background: PHP (Chemosat, Delcath Systems Inc, New York, NY) allows repeated delivery of high dose chemotherapy to the liver while limiting unwanted systemic exposure by extracorporeal filtra...
Helium Refrigerator with Features for Operation at Supercritical Pressure

Due to recent developments in cooling methods for superconducting devices, forced-flow cooling in the supercritical region below 4 K has become of great interest.1 To achieve this, additional devices to generate and circulate cryogenic fluids are required to supplement the equipment usually found in conventional helium refrigerators.2
Carbon Monoxide Activation by Organoactinides. η2-Acyl-CO Coupling and the Formation of Metal-Bound Ketenes

The coupling of metal carbenes and carbynes with CO to yield coordinated ketenes is well known. It was reported that the thorium acyl complex Cp'/sub 2/Th(eta/sup 2/-COCH/sub 2/C-(CH/sub 3/)/sub 3/)Cl (Cp' = eta/sup 5/-(CH/sub 3/)/sub 5/C/sub 5/) reacts wtih CO to yield the unusual dionediolate. On the basis of /sup 13/C labeling experiments, it was tentatively suggested that a crucial step in product formation was coupling of the carbene-like dihaptoacyl with CO to produce a transitory ketene. If operative, such a pathway would represent a new pattern of acyl reactivity, also of possible importance in actinide and zirconium enediolate formations as well as in organolanthanide carbonylation chemistry. Here was reported mechanistic evidence that such eta/sup 2/-acyl-CO coupling processes are indeed facile. 21 references, 2 figures. (DP)
A highly potent lymphatic system–targeting nanoparticle cyclosporine prevents glomerulonephritis in mouse model of lupus

Cyclosporine A (CsA) is a powerful immunosuppressant, but it is an ineffective stand-alone treatment for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) due to poor target tissue distribution and renal toxicity. We hypothesized that CD71 (transferrin receptor 1)–directed delivery of CsA to the lymphatic system would improve SLE outcomes in a murine model. We synthesized biodegradable, ligand-conjugated nanoparticles [P2Ns–gambogic acid (GA)] targeting CD71. GA conjugation substantially increased nanoparticle association with CD3+ or CD20+ lymphocytes and with intestinal lymphoid tissues. In orally dosed MRL-lpr mice, P2Ns-GA–encapsulated CsA increased lymphatic drug delivery 4- to 18-fold over the ligand-free formulation and a commercial CsA capsule, respectively. Improved lymphatic bioavailability of CsA was paralleled by normalization of anti–double-stranded DNA immunoglobulin G titer, plasma cytokines, and glomerulonephritis. Thus, this study demonstrates the translational potential of nanoparticles that enhance the targeting of lymphatic tissues, transforming CsA into a potent single therapeutic for SLE.
Anisotropic random walks reveal chemotaxis signaling output in run-reversing bacteria

Abstract The bias for a particular direction of rotation of the flagellar motor is a sensitive readout of chemotaxis signaling, which mediates bacterial migration towards favorable chemical environments. The rotational bias has not been characterized in Helicobacter pylori, which limits our understanding of the signaling dynamics. Here, we determined that H. pylori swim faster (slower) whenever their flagella rotate counterclockwise (clockwise) by analyzing their hydrodynamic interactions with bounding surfaces. The anisotropy in swimming speeds helped quantify the fraction of the time that the cells swam slower to report the first measurements of the bias. A stochastic model of run-reversals indicated that the anisotropy promotes faster spread compared to isotropic swimmers. The approach further revealed that the diffuse spread of H. pylori is likely limited at the physiological temperature due to increased reversal frequencies. Thus, anisotropic run-reversals make it feasible to study signal-response relations in the chemotaxis network in non-model bacterial species. Impact Statement Anisotropy in run and reversal swimming speeds promotes the spread of H. pylori and reveals temperature-dependent behavior of the flagellar switch.
Twisted complexes on a ringed space as a dg-enhancement of the derived category of perfect complexes

We study the dg-category of twisted complexes on a ringed space and prove that it gives a new dg-enhancement of the derived category of perfect complexes on that space. A twisted complex is a collection of locally defined sheaves together with the homotopic gluing data. We construct a dg-functor from twisted complexes to perfect complexes, which turns out to be a dg-enhancement. This new enhancement has the advantage of being completely geometric and it comes directly from the definition of perfect complex. In addition we will talk about some applications and further topics around twisted complexes.