cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
VOUCH-AP: privacy preserving open-access 802.11 public hotspot AP authentication mechanism with co-located evil-twins

Open-access 802.11 public Wi-Fi hotspots support rudimentary low-level authentication at the access-point link-layer but offers no authentication mechanisms for the clients. Hence, there is a fundamental information asymmetry at play, enabling an adversary to launch AP-based evil-twin attacks. In this paper, we address this information asymmetry problem and propose a simple yet powerful solution for identifying and eliminating malicious APs, thereby providing users safe and private 802.11 public hotspots. Our proposed VOUCH-AP is a portable, platform-independent AP authentication framework. VOUCH-AP is, to our best knowledge, the first work to consider digital certificate-based AP authentication. The proposed solution does not require any hardware upgrades or specialised hardware, unlike 802.11i (aka WPA2). Finally, through security analysis, we show the security robustness of the proposed VOUCH-AP framework to counter evil-twin attacks.
Psychophysiological Correlates of Antisocial Behavior: A Central Control Hypothesis

Psychophysiological processes—or the study of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral phenomena in relation to physiological principles (Cacioppo & Tassinary, 1990)—represent one of the most broadly studied biological correlates of antisocial behavior. Traditionally, measures of central (i.e., electroencephalogram, event-related potentials) and autonomic (i.e., heart rate, skin conductance) nervous system functions are discussed as separate entities. However extensive research—primarily with animals, but also with humans — has helped delineate the central nervous system control of autonomic functions. Because several reviews on the psychophysiology of antisocial behavior have been previously published (e.g., Fowles, 1993; Lahey, McBurnett, Loeber, & Hart, 1995), the purpose of the current chapter is to update the prior reviews and integrate the findings with emerging developments from the fields of behavioral and affective neuroscience. Although the chapter places the findings within the context of a central control hypothesis, it should be stated from the outset that it is not assumed that the hypothesized neuroanatomical correlates from one area (e.g., electroencephalogram) directly correspond to the neuroanatomical components of another (e.g., skin conductance).
1.5 Narrative and the Transmission of Traditions: Informal Learning Among Italian Artisan Stone Carvers

Narrative is an interactive communicative process occurring in particular social contexts and invoking other texts, tellings, and ideas, including those historically and geographically distant from the immediate context. Telling narratives is part of a larger process of the circulation of knowledge, and the ethnographic study of narrative requires attention to a cultural group’s communicative repertoire. Taking the example of narratives told by Italian artisan stone carvers, this essay explores life history narrative, community memory, and informal pedagogies. The pedagogical practices of informal, apprenticeship learning are rarely recorded in text books but instead are transmitted through narratives that convey not only instruction in particular skills but also values about ways of learning and ways of practicing a skill, including remembered skills no longer practiced. Occurring at the interface between technology and pedagogy, informal learning is deeply embedded in cultural and cross-cultural circulations of knowledge. In a discussion of the uses of narrative in research, including longitudinal ethnographic research projects, the essay addresses central dimensions of narrative research including positionality, frame, local and grand narrative, intertexuality, and dialogic narration.
Supersonic Molecular Beams and van der Waals Molecules

These lecture notes will concern themselves with van der Waals molecules, molecules that are bound in part by forces that are two or three orders of magnitude weaker than the forces responsible for ordinary chemical bonds. The interest in these species arises in part from a desire to understand the van der Waals forces themselves and in part from the fact that knowledge of the structura. and dynamic features of these molecules may shed some light on analogous features in more complicated chemically bound molecules.
Cortical Processing Of Auditory Space: Pathways And Plasticity

Contrary to popular belief, which places auditory space processing wholly in the brainstem, several lines of evidence suggest that auditory cortex plays an important role in spatial perception. Lesion studies in animals and humans demonstrate severe deficits in sound localization after damage to auditory cortex. Single-unit recording studies find neurons tuned to spatial location in auditory cortical areas. While these neurons exist already in primary auditory cortex, their prevalence and sharpness of spatial tuning increases in nonprimary areas of the caudal belt, as defined in nonhuman primates. The firing of neurons in these latter areas also shows a tighter correlation with the behavioral performance of alert monkeys engaged in sound localization behavior. Caudal belt and parabelt project to posterior parietal cortex and to areas of prefrontal cortex, such as the frontal eye and pinna fields, known to be involved in spatial perception. This has led to the notion that a posterior-dorsal processing stream is intimately involved in aspects of auditory spatial perception. The existence of such an auditory “where”-stream is also suggested by functional neuroimaging studies in humans in which subjects process stationary or moving sounds in space. Consistently, posterior aspects of the superior temporal cortex and adjoining inferior parietal cortex are activated during these tasks. Thus, while brainstem nuclei perform an important service by computing some of the basic parameters necessary for spatial processing, such as interaural time and intensity differences, these parameters are integrated (together with monaural spectral cues that depend on head and pinnae) at the cortical level. Auditory space perception, including perception of motion in space, is, therefore, ultimately accomplished at the cortical level. Animals and humans that grow up blind use their auditory modality for localization in far space. Areas in parietal and occipital cortex that are ordinarily used for vision become activated by auditory input. This leads to an expansion of auditory areas in the dorsal stream into visual territory and to a simultaneous sharpening of auditory spatial tuning in these neurons. Together, this massive cross-modal reorganization leads to superior performance of blind as compared to sighted individuals in auditory spatial tasks.
Commercial farmland preservation in Oregon

Oregon's agricultural land preservation program emphasizes the importance of commercial agriculture to the state's economy. Statewide zoning requirements and farm use incentives are designed to protect commercial agriculture from fragmentation and conflicting uses. While the state has invested significant staff and funding commitments over nearly a decade, the program's long-term effectiveness still faces difficult tests.
Photosynthetic electron transport: Emergence of a concept, 1949-59.

Historically, two main concepts guided research into possible mechanisms of light-induced atomic rearrangements in oxygenic photosynthesis: Photodecomposition of CO2 and photodecomposition of water. Both concepts envisioned photoinduced transfers of cumbersome whole atoms and not, as is currently held, photoinduced electron transfers. Early proposals for light-induced electron transfers were relegated to obscurity because they were speculative ideas, not supported by meaningful experimental findings and tied to hypothetical and ephemeral schemes. The concept of photoinduced rearrangements of whole atoms rather than electrons was so well entrenched that it was even invoked to explain their findings by the discoverers of the Hill reaction and cyclic photophosphorylation. The light-induced electron flow concept gained acceptance in photosynthesis research only with the discovery of non-cyclic photophosphorylation in which ATP formation is coupled with electron transport to ferredoxin/NADP+ or to artificial substitutes like ferricyanide.
Programming-by-example for audio: synthesizing digital signal processing programs

Programming by example allows users to create programs without coding, by simply specifying input and output pairs. We introduce the problem of digital signal processing programming by example (DSP-PBE), where users specify input and output wave files, and a tool automatically synthesizes a program that transforms the input to the output. This program can then be applied to new wave files, giving users a new way to interact with music and program code. We formally define the problem of DSP-PBE, and provide a first implementation of a solution that can handle synthesis over commutative filters.
Abatement of Streptococcus equi in Soiled Equine Bedding and Compost

Abstract The survival of Streptococcus equi subspecies equi and zooepidemicus in soiled equine bedding (SEB) and compost was evaluated. Dacron bags containing SEB were inoculated with 1010 c.f.u. of each subspecies, and stored at 21°C–23°C for 24 hours, then placed in compost windrows containing SEB and feed waste (Experiments 1 and 2). Streptococci were quantified immediately after inoculation in the bags, and during the 336 hours after placement in the windrow. Next, SEB, autoclaved and nonautoclaved, was inoculated with 1010 c.f.u. of each subspecies and sampled from 0 to 264 hours (Experiment 3). Finally, SEB was dried at 37°C for 48 hours and sterile water added (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 mL) to 5 subsamples of 100 g of dried bedding, which were inoculated with 1010 c.f.u of each subspecies and sampled at intervals from 0 to 120 hours (Experiment 4). In Experiments 1 and 2, heavy Streptococcal growth was detected immediately after inoculation of Dacron bags, but no Streptococci were isolated 48 hours after placement in compost windrows. In Experiment 3, S. zooepidemicus was isolated from sterilized SEB up to 168 hours. In nonsterilized SEB, Streptococci were isolated up to 72 hours (P
Nanoscale groove textured β-Ga2O3 by room temperature inverse metal-assisted chemical etching and photodiodes with enhanced responsivity

β-Ga2O3 is an emerging wide band-gap semiconductor that holds great promise for next generation power electronics and optoelectronics. β-Ga2O3 based ultraviolet photodetectors have been the subject of active research for the last few years. However, no micro and nanostructure surface texturing has been demonstrated for efficient light management in β-Ga2O3 optoelectronic applications yet. We hereby present nanoscale groove textured β-Ga2O3 metal-semiconductor-metal photodiodes, enabled by the unique metal-assisted chemical etching (MacEtch) method at room temperature in liquid. Although the textured surface stoichiometry shows ∼10% oxygen deficiency which results in a reduced Schottky barrier height and increased dark current, clear enhancement of the responsivity is demonstrated, compared to the planar untreated surface. The realization of MacEtch's applicability to β-Ga2O3 opens the door for producing more sophisticated device structures for this material, without resorting to conventional dry etch and potential damage.
The Hotel Room Purchase Task: Effects of Gender and Partner Desirability on Demand for Hypothetical Sex in Individuals with Disordered Cocaine Use and Controls.

Hypothetical purchase tasks allow for rapid assessment of behavioral economic demand for numerous commodities and are useful in evaluating reinforcer pathologies, such as substance and behavioral addiction. Currently, there is not a task for evaluating demand for sex without requiring implicit engagement in sex work. The current study used a novel purchase task with hotel rooms for sex as the hypothetical commodity to assess demand for sex in individuals with disordered cocaine use, a population that frequently engages in risky sexual behavior. Adults meeting criteria for cocaine abuse or dependence (13 males, ten females) and noncocaine-using controls (eight males, three females) chose hypothetical sexual partners from a series of photographs and endorsed two partners with whom they would most and least like to have sex. Participants then completed the hotel purchase task for both partners, wherein they reported how many nights at a hotel room, at prices from $10 to $1280 per night, they would purchase in a year. Demand intensity was significantly greater and demand elasticity was significantly lower for the most preferred relative to the less preferred partner. Males demonstrated significantly greater intensity and lesser elasticity for sex than females. Demand metrics did not differ between the cocaine and control group. This task may serve as a useful measure of demand for sex without requiring implicit hypothetical engagement in sex work. Future studies exploring the relation between task performance and other characteristics such as sexual dysfunction, in addition to acute substance administration effects, may further determine the task’s clinical utility.
2020: The Future Is Here

At the dawn of a new decade, I cannot help but recall that when I started my academic career in social work in the 1990s, it was common to look ahead to how life would be in the next century. Statistical projections forecast various demographic changes, often using 2020 as the future time frame. Back then, 2020 sounded far away and almost alien. Well folks, the future is here. Now that 2020 has dawned, it seems that the more things change, the more they stay the same. Certainly, the specific issues that social workers address have changed over the decades, and our approaches have been modified to tackle the new issues, but the struggle to understand and meet emerging needs persists. I used to jokingly hear that the ultimate goal of the social work profession was to put ourselves out of business. Given the intransigence of intolerance for difference and the persistent emergence of needs arising from “advances” of modern living, it seems the social justice stance of our profession will never be fully met. Indeed, our social contract is continually expanding. In the Fall 2019 issue of Advances in Social Work we are pleased to present 14 papers--11 empirical, 3 conceptual--written by 29 authors from 12 states across the U.S., representing different regions of the country and Ghana. Each paper is briefly introduced below.
Eucharistic imagination as a paradigm for practical theology

In a time when even spiritual programmes use business models to measure their effectiveness, the author proposes that it might be more effective to use a sacramental imagination as the ‘strategic p...
Is Economic Empowerment a Protective Factor Against Intimate Partner Violence? Evidence from Turkey

This paper analyzes the relationship between women’s economic empowerment and the incidence of intimate partner violence (IPV) using data from the National Survey on Domestic Violence against Women in Turkey (2008, 2014). Two hypotheses are tested: (i) women’s economic independence reduces the risk of partner violence as suggested by household bargaining models; (ii) women’s vulnerability to IPV increases when their economic situation improves relative to their partner’s as suggested by a male backlash model. Women’s employment has a positive effect on the exposure to IPV but it is not statistically significant after controlling for the simultaneous causality between employment status and IPV. Earning more income than their partners, on the other hand, lowers the risk of IPV by 9.3%, providing evidence for the household bargaining model. The protective effect of income differs according to class positions of women. Earning more income than their partners lowers the risk of physical (7.5%) and sexual violence (6.4%) for women in poor households while it lowers the risk of psychological violence (11.5%) for women in medium-wealth and rich households.
The Britannia Field, Blocks 15/29, 15/30, 16/26 and 16/27, UK North Sea

Abstract The Lower Cretaceous Britannia Field development is one of the largest and most significant undertaken on the UK Continental Shelf. Production started in 1998 via 17 pre-drilled development wells and was followed by a decade of intensive drilling, whereby a further 40 wells were added. In 2000 Britannia9s plateau production of 800 MMscfgd supplied 8% of the UK9s domestic gas requirements. As the field has matured, so too has its development strategy. Initial near-field development drilling targeting optimal reservoir thickness was followed by extended reach wells into the stratigraphic pinchout region. In 2014 a further strategy shift was made, moving from infill drilling to a long-term compression project to maximize existing production. During its 20-year history the Britannia Platform has undergone numerous changes. In addition to compression, production from five satellite fields has been routed through the facility: Caledonia (2003), Callanish and Brodgar (2008), Enochdhu (2015) and Alder (2016). A new field, Finlaggan, is due to be brought through Britannia9s facilities in 2020, helping to maximize value from the asset for years to come. As Britannia marks 20 years of production it has produced c. 600 MMboe – surpassing the original ultimate recoverable estimate of c. 570 MMboe – and is still going strong today.
Could a robot flirt? 4E cognition, reactive attitudes, and robot autonomy

In this paper, I develop a view about machine autonomy grounded in the theoretical frameworks of 4E cognition and PF Strawson’s reactive attitudes. I begin with critical discussion of White (this issue), and conclude that his view is strongly committed to functionalism as it has developed in mainstream analytic philosophy since the 1950s. After suggesting that there is good reason to resist this view by appeal to developments in 4E cognition, I propose an alternative view of machine autonomy. Namely, machines count as autonomous when we members of the moral community adopt reactive attitudes in response to their actions. I distinguish this view from White’s and suggest assets and liabilities of this approach.
Wood density variation in naturally regenerated stands of Pinus ponderosa in northern Arizona, USA

In the southwestern United States, land managers are implementing large-scale forest restoration projects involving treatments designed to improve forest health, protect ecosystem services, and red...
Stochastic Differential Equations

Virtually all continuous stochastic processes of importance in applications satisfy an equation of the form $$d{X_t} = \mu (t,{X_t})dt + \sigma (t,{X_t})d{B_t}with\;{X_0} = {x_0}$$ (9.1) .
Using kinematics to re-define the pull test as a quantitative biomarker of the postural response

Background: Quantitative biomarkers are needed for the diagnosis, monitoring and therapeutic assessment of postural instability. Objective: Create a practical and objective measure of postural instability using kinematic measurement of the pull test to incorporate into clinical practice. Methods: Twenty patients evaluated and treated for normal pressure hydrocephalus were tested over a number of sessions. Patients were fitted with 15 inertial measurement units during each session. At each session, the patient underwent 10-20 pull tests performed by a trained clinician. The clinician purposefully induced a range of perturbations during each session to assess the patient9s step response. Kinematic data was extracted for each pull test and aggregated. Results: Patients participated in 57 sessions for a total of 860 trials and were separated into groups by pull test score. The center of mass velocity profile easily distinguished between groups such that score increases correlated with decreases in peak velocity and later peak velocity onset. All patients except those scored as "3" demonstrated an increase in step length and decrease in reaction time with increasing pull intensity. Groups were distinguished by differences in overall step length or reaction time regardless of pull intensity (y-intercept). A logistic regression model including only kinematic variables identified three kinematic factors that could be used to identify trials in which patients needed to be caught (i.e. "fell"). Conclusion: An instrumented, purposefully varied pull test produces kinematic metrics useful for distinguishing clinically meaningful differences between and within NPH patients. These metrics should be followed prospectively to examine fall risk.
Role of endothelial cell receptors in the context of SARS-CoV-2 infection (COVID-19)

Endothelial cell (EC) dysfunction contributes to COVID-19-associated vascular inflammation and coagulopathy, and the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor plays a role in EC dysfunction in COVID-19. To expand the understanding of the role of the ACE2 receptor relative to EC dysfunction, this review addresses (1) tissue distribution of the ACE2 protein and its mRNA expression in humans, (2) susceptibility of the capillary ECs to SARS-CoV-2 infection, and (3) the role of EC dysfunction relevant to ACE2 and nuclear factor-κB in COVID-19.
New Helminth Records for the Dubious Dtella, Gehyra dubia, and the Spotted Dtella, Gehyra punctata (Squamata: Gekkonidae), from Australia

Fifteen Gehyra dubia and 15 Gehyra punctata from Australia were examined for helminths. One species of Cestoda and 6 species of Nematoda were found. Gehyra dubia harbored Oochoristica australiensis, Maxvachonia chabaudi, and Skrjabinodon smythi. Gehyra punctata harbored Parapharyngodon fitzroyi, Pharyngodon kartana, Physalopteroides filicauda, and Abbreviata sp. (larva in cyst). Both species of Gehyra are parasitized by generalist helminths that also infect other species of lizards.All findings represent new host records.
Itch: pathogenesis and treatment

Itch pathogenesis is broadly characterized into histaminergic and nonhistaminergic pathways and transmitted via two main receptor families - G-protein coupled receptors and transient receptor potential channels. In the skin, itch is primarily transmitted by unmyelinated type C and thinly myelinated type Aδ nerve fibers. Crosstalk between the immune and neural systems modulates itch transmission at the skin, spinal cord, and brain. Among the many known pruritogens, Th2 cytokines such as IL-4, IL-13, IL-31, and TSLP are particularly important mediators that signal through shared janus kinase pathways, representing novel targets for novel itch therapeutics. Emerging evidence has also revealed that the opioidergic system is a potent modulator of itch transmission, with increased μ-opioid activity and decreased κ-opioid activity contributing to itch pathogenesis. Optimal management of itch requires tailoring treatment approaches to specific etiological itch subtypes. When the etiology is unknown and patients are given a diagnosis of chronic pruritus of unknown origin, treatment should be guided by the presence of Th2 polarization, often reflected by increased blood eosinophils. In the second article of this two-part series, we outline our current understanding of itch pathogenesis and discuss available and emerging treatments for itch.
Creativity and nonlinear dynamical systems

Abstract In a recent article entitled “The Order - Chaos Dynamic of Creativity,” Lambert (2020) applied a Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) approach to historic paradoxes in creativity. He described dialectical tensions along different continua, namely knowledge vs. naivete, psychological health vs. psychiatric disorders, mindfulness vs. mind-wandering, executive attention vs. default network, convergent vs. divergent thinking, and extroverted vs. introverted traits. This paper extends Lambert's ideas of dynamic flexibility and change along continua such as these, tying them to other themes in Nonlinear Dynamical Systems (NDS) theory (also sometimes known as chaos theory). This article argues for 1) “leveling down” to find the nonlinearity in relationships that underlie creativity. It discusses 2) the role of emergence in creativity, healthy human life, and evolutionary theory, and describes 3) finding patterning in our research observations. A 4) simple model of creative dynamics is reviewed and generalized to the use of Somewhat-complicated Systems (SCS) models in psychology. Implications for 5) creative intervention are discussed, as well as the importance of 6) engaging with new NDS worldviews as we make our way into the human future.
Summary of collaborative photovoltaic industry work to proactively improve codes and standards for photovoltaic power system applications

Several important milestones in codes and standards pertaining to the design, installation and operation of photovoltaic (PV) power systems have recently been completed with collaboration of participants from all sectors of the PV industry, electric utilities and the US Department of Energy's National Photovoltaic Program. Codes and standards that have been proposed, written or modified include changes and additions for the 1999 National Electrical Code(R) (NEC(R)), standards for fire and personnel safety, system testing, component qualification and utility interconnection. Project authorization requests with the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) have resulted in standards for listing PV modules and balance-of-system components. Industry collaboration with Underwriter Laboratories, Inc. (UL), with the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), and through critical input and review for international standards with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) have resulted in domestic and international standards for PV. Work related to the codes and standards activities through the International Energy Agency (IEA) is also being supported by the PV industry and the US DOE. This paper concentrates on and summarizes the important new NEC proposals for PV systems and also describes and shows the bonds between the activities in either standards writing activities. The paper also provides an analysis of changes and resulting impacts of selected proposed NEC changes on PV designs, installations and performance.
Experimental pneumococcal meningitis. Effects of neuraminidase and other pneumococcal constituents on cerebrospinal fluid in the intact dog.

Abstract The intracisternal administration of a Type I pneumococcus to mongrel dogs resulted in spinal fluid abnormalities and clinical course and outcome similar to those of meningitis in humans. In order to define the pathogenic role of pneumococcal neuraminidase and other pneumococcal extracts in experimental meningitis, the following preparations were derived from the same Type I pneumococcus: crude neuraminidase, partially purified neuraminidase, heat-inactivated crude neuraminidase, and heat-killed pneumococci. These preparations were administered intracisternally daily for 5 days to a series of mongrel dogs. These substances did not produce clinical morbidity similar to that observed in infected animals, even though there was a significant decrease in the NANA content of cortical brain subcellular structures in the neuraminidase-treated dogs. It was concluded that the substances investigated were not responsible for morbidity and mortality in experimental pneumococcal meningitis. Both heat-killed pneumococci and the crude neuraminidase preparation elicited significant alterations in spinal fluid glucose and protein concentrations which were similar to those recorded in infected animals; however these abnormalities were not associated with significant morbidity. It is proposed that spinal fluid glucose and protein abnormalities may not be directly linked to brain damage or dysfunction in this experimental model, or in man.
Predicting Persistence of College Freshmen Using Neural Networks

Nationally, a significant percentage of public undergraduate students do not successfully go onto their second year of college. Low retention rates incur a heavy cost on both schools and students. Retention rates vary by institution. Some factors that have a role in student retention are school selectivity, geography, academics, athletics, and socio-economics. Finding the students that best fit a given school’s overall environment poses an important challenge to schools. Understanding student persistence (i.e., enrolling in the subsequent second semester) offers a first step to understanding retention (i.e., enrolling in the subsequent second year). This research explores the creation of a decision support system that profiles the successful student for a particular school. The system scores individual students based upon their probability of persistence. This paper details a highly accurate (better than 90%) neural network-based decision support system that predicts first-semester persistence. The system offers a means to score an individual applicant for recruitment. The system also offers a detailed profile of the student that is most likely to be a successful student at a particular institution of higher education.
Octahedral metal carbonyls : II. Rates of combination of pyridine with five-coordinate species produced from substituted octahedral metal carbonyls via mCO bond fission

Abstract Rates of combination of pyridine (py) with five-coordinate species formed via laser flash photolytic MCO bond fission in (diphos)Mo(CO) 4 (diphos = 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane) and (P-en)W(CO) 4 (P-en = ethylenediphosphine) in cyclohexane have been determined at room temperature. Free energies of activation for these processes and for those involving Cr(CO) 6 , previously reported, are ca. 2–5 kcal/mol. The results indicate that transition states leading to formation of combination products closely resemble the intermediates, as has been inferred through ligand-competition studies in related systems.
Photochemistry of merocyanine 540: the mechanism of chemotherapeutic activity with cyanine dyes.

— The photophysical properties of merocyanine 540 have been determined in methanol solution over a modest temperature range. Triplet state population is inefficient (the limiting triplet quantum yield being 0.25) due to rapid isomerization of the central double bond from the first excited singlet state. Activation energies have been measured for isomerization from the excited singlet state (20 kJ mol-1) and for conversion of the resultant cis-isomer back to the original trans-form (63 kJ mol-1), both processes involving formation of a twisted species. The dye is easily oxidized to give an unstable adduct which decomposes on the sub-ms timescale. Reversible redox chemistry occurs upon excitation in the presence of electron acceptors. These various observations are discussed in terms of the known chemotherapeutic activity of MC540 and it is concluded that the most probable mechanisms for cytotoxicity involve either local thermal disruption of cell membranes or in siru photogeneration of toxins derived from breakdown of the dye.
Flammable and combustible principles of hazardous products

The chapter focuses on the classification, flashpoint, ignition temperature, vapor density, explosion range, and vapor volume of flammable and combustible liquids. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) classifies combustible liquids into: Class I, Class II, and Class III — these have different evaporation rates because of their different vapor pressures… The chapter illustrates explosive range of NEC class I flammable products, elaborating on the occurrence of an explosion when the gas or vapor mixes with air or oxygen in a ratio such that the gas or vapor concentration is within certain limits. These limits are known as the Lower Explosion Limit (LEL) and the Upper Explosion Limit (UEL), for instance, combustible coke and coal dust is hazardous when exceeding their LEL. The flashpoint is the temperature of a volatile liquid above which there is a danger of fire or explosion In classifying a hazardous location, it is necessary to consider the temperature and pressure in the system of the process equipment containing a flammable liquid. For instance, for a given temperature, the vapor pressure of a Class I liquid will be higher than that of Class II and Class III liquids. Major conditions that have an impact on the traveling distance of a flammable gas or vapor are specified with respect to the grouping of flammable and combustible products. To safeguard these, in NEC Class I locations, awareness of the nature of fires and explosions associated with flammable products is important. The chapter concludes with an analysis of fire and explosion hazards in NEC Class I locations elaborating upon: principles and causes of fire explosion, basic requirements that must be satisfied for an explosion to occur and ways of preventing an explosion or fire in the atmosphere.
Mechanism of pyranopterin ring formation in molybdenum cofactor biosynthesis

The molybdenum cofactor (Moco) is essential for all kingdoms of life, plays central roles in various biological processes, and must be biosynthesized de novo. During Moco biosynthesis, the characteristic pyranopterin ring is constructed by a complex rearrangement of guanosine 5′-triphosphate (GTP) into cyclic pyranopterin (cPMP) through the action of two enzymes, MoaA and MoaC (molybdenum cofactor biosynthesis protein A and C, respectively). Conventionally, MoaA was considered to catalyze the majority of this transformation, with MoaC playing little or no role in the pyranopterin formation. Recently, this view was challenged by the isolation of 3′,8-cyclo-7,8-dihydro-guanosine 5′-triphosphate (3′,8-cH2GTP) as the product of in vitro MoaA reactions. To elucidate the mechanism of formation of Moco pyranopterin backbone, we performed biochemical characterization of 3′,8-cH2GTP and functional and X-ray crystallographic characterizations of MoaC. These studies revealed that 3′,8-cH2GTP is the only product of MoaA that can be converted to cPMP by MoaC. Our structural studies captured the specific binding of 3′,8-cH2GTP in the active site of MoaC. These observations provided strong evidence that the physiological function of MoaA is the conversion of GTP to 3′,8-cH2GTP (GTP 3′,8-cyclase), and that of MoaC is to catalyze the rearrangement of 3′,8-cH2GTP into cPMP (cPMP synthase). Furthermore, our structure-guided studies suggest that MoaC catalysis involves the dynamic motions of enzyme active-site loops as a way to control the timing of interaction between the reaction intermediates and catalytically essential amino acid residues. Thus, these results reveal the previously unidentified mechanism behind Moco biosynthesis and provide mechanistic and structural insights into how enzymes catalyze complex rearrangement reactions.
Ureaplasma urealyticum intrauterine infection: role in prematurity and disease in newborns.

Ureaplasma urealyticum, a common commensal of the urogenital tract of sexually mature humans, is gaining recognition as an important opportunistic pathogen during pregnancy. While its etiologic significance in many aspects of adverse pregnancy remains controversial, recent evidence indicates that U. urealyticum in the absence of other organisms is a cause of chorioamnionitis. Furthermore, ureaplasmal infection of the chorioamnion is significantly associated with premature spontaneous labor and delivery. In at least some cases, it appears to be causal. Present evidence indicates that U. urealyticum is a cause of septicemia, meningitis, and pneumonia in newborn infants, particularly those born prematurely. There is strong but not definitive evidence that ureaplasmal infection of the lower respiratory tract can lead to development of chronic lung disease in very low-birth-weight infants. Although risk factors for colonization of the lower genitourinary tract have been identified, little information is available concerning risk factors for intrauterine infection and host immune responses to invasive infection. Recent establishment of animal models of respiratory and central nervous system diseases should provide an opportunity to evaluate risk factors, pathogenic mechanisms, and operative immune mechanisms. However, the most critical need is additional information concerning indications for diagnosis and treatment as well as efficacy of treatment. Images
Impact of Thermal Processing on ELISA Detection of Peanut Allergens

This study examined the effect of heat treatment on the solubility of peanut proteins and compared the performances of two commercial ELISA kits (Veratox Quantitative Peanut Allergen Test and BioKits Peanut Assay Kit) for quantitation of peanut residues as affected by different heat treatments (moist and dry heat) and detection targets (mixture of proteins vs specific protein). Both laboratory-prepared and commercial peanut flour preparations were used for the evaluation. The two ELISA kits tended to underestimate the levels of protein in samples that were subjected to elevated heat, respectively, by more than 60- or 400-fold lower for the autoclaved samples and by as much as 70- or 2000-fold lower for the dark-roast commercial flour samples. The BioKits test, which employs antibodies specific to a heat labile protein (Ara h 1), in general exhibited a greater degree of underestimation. These results suggest that commercial ELISA kits may not be able to accurately determine the amount of proteins present in thermally processed foods due to changes in the solubility and immunoreactivity of the target proteins. Users need to be aware of such limitations before applying ELISA kits for evaluation of food allergen control programs.
Rain projected to dominate western U.S. precipitation

Throughout the western United States, scientists have noticed that warming has reduced snow accumulation and led to earlier snowmelt, a change that could have dire consequences for the region's ecology and industries. Specifically, previous research has found that the rain-snow transition zone—the area where precipitation is dominated by rain versus snow in the winter—has shifted significantly in the past few decades.
Substrate preferences of wild and a mutant house fly acetylcholinesterase and a comparison with the bovine erythrocyte enzyme

Comparisons were made of purified acetylcholinesterase from the heads of wild type house flies with a mutant form (which bound organophosphates and carbamates less tightly). Using 12 substrates and 6 quaternary inhibitors, the only substantial difference was that the Km for butyrylcholine was 25 times greater for the mutant enzyme, suggesting that butyrylcholine and the organophosphates and carbamates shared a common binding site. The pure enzyme from the wild type house fly was also compared with bovine erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase. The major difference was again with butyrylcholine as substrate: the ability to acylate or deacylate was 30 times greater in the fly enzyme (the Km values differed by a factor of 4).
Max margin learning on domain-independent web information extraction

Domain-independent web information extraction can be addressed as a structured prediction problem where we learn a mapping function from an input web page to the structured and interdependent output variables, labeling each block on the page. In this paper, built upon an HTML parser of Internet Explorer that parses and renders a web page based on HTML tags and visual appearance, we propose a max margin learning approach for web information extraction. Specifically, the output of the parser is a vision tree, which is similar to a DOM tree but with visual information, i.e., how each node is displayed. Based on this hierarchical structure, we develop a max margin learning method for labeling each of its nodes. Due to the rich connections between blocks on the web page, we further introduce edges that connect spatially adjacent nodes on the vision tree, complicating the problem into a cyclic graph labeling task. A max margin learning method on cyclic graphs is developed for this problem, where loopy belief propagation is used for approximate inference. Experimental results on web data extraction show the feasibility and promise of our approach.
Landing of an Ardrone 2.0 quadcopter on a mobile base using fuzzy logic

In this paper, a fuzzy control system is presented for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) which provides aerial support for an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV). The UGV acts as a mobile launching pad for the UAV. The UAV provides additional environmental image feedback to the UGV. Our UAV of choice is a Parrot ArDrone 2.0 quadcopter, a small four rotored aerial vehicle, competent for its agile flight and video feedback capabilities. This paper presents design and simulation of fuzzy logic controllers for performing landing and altitude control. Image processing and Mamdani-type inference are used for converting sensor input into control signals used to control the UAV.
Cyberwar: The United States and China Prepare For the Next Generation of Conflict

In recent years the People's Republic of China has garnered international attention for its aggressive and often sophisticated employment of cyber capabilities against domestic and international targets alike. With increasing frequency, the targets of Chinese cyber operations are American companies or government networks. If the United States and China find themselves in conflict in the coming decades, this newest arena of operations, cyberwarfare, will play a decisive role in determining the outcome. This article examines the relative cyber strengths and weaknesses each country commands today, and offers policy recommendations for the improvement of the United States’ own cyberwar capabilities.
Three-dimensional flow in a cylinder with sidewall mass addition

Three-dimensional, time-dependent, nonlinear flow dynamics within a cylinder with sidewall mass injection are investigated. A nonaxisymmetric transient injection velocity, prescribed along the sidewall boundary of a long, narrow, half-open cylinder, induces a low Mach number, high Reynolds number flow. The injection drives nearly planar axial acoustic disturbances, which interact with the injected fluid to produce the azimuthal component of vorticity on the sidewall in an inviscid manner. A smaller, but important azimuthally dependent transient disturbance, driven by the nonaxisymmetric injection disturbance leads to the axial component of vorticity on the cylinder sidewall. Both components of vorticity are shown to convect toward the center of the cylinder, diffuse radially, and convect downstream. Other results show that the axial component of vorticity produced along the sidewall is largest near the maximum of a mass source distribution in the azimuthal dimension. The amplitude of the axial vorticity c...
Alterations in Strength and Maximal Oxygen Uptake Consequent to Nautilus Circuit Weight Training

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a Nautilus circuit weight training program on muscular strength and maximal oxygen uptake ([Vdot]O 2 max) by comparing these effects to those produced by adhering to either a free weight (FW) strength training program or a running (R) program. Male college students who voluntarily enrolled in either a FW training class (n = 11), a Nautilus (N) circuit weight training class (n= 12), or a R conditioning class (n= 13) were subjects for this investigation. All groups participated in their respective programs 3 days per week for 10 weeks. Strength was assessed using a Cybex II isokinetic dynamometer set at an angular velocity of 60° · s −1 and a damping of 2. The FW group served as the control group for the assessment of [Vdot]O 2 max changes, while the R group served as controls for the assessment of strength differences. ANCOVA revealed that the N and R groups experienced significant (p < .01) increases in [Vdot]O 2 max expressed in L · min −...
Consensual and individual stereotypic beliefs about international students among American host nationals

Abstract The present study examined the consensual stereotype of an extraordinarily heterogeneous social group, international students who are sojourning in the United States, among American host nationals. The content and valence of the cultural stereotype was assessed using a multicomponent, free-response methodology with N=100 American college students. On the whole, consensual and individual stereotypic representations of international students were somewhat favorable, although a number of negative attributes were consistently ascribed to the group. The percentages of agreement among participants concerning the attributes of foreign students were substantial, indicating that international students are regarded as a fairly homogenous outgroup by domestic students, notwithstanding the extreme heterogeneity of the foreign student population. Individual stereotypic beliefs about international students were significantly correlated with overall attitudes and behaviors (social contact) toward the group. The negative evaluative content of participants’ individual stereotypic beliefs was strongly related to prejudicial attitudes and social avoidance of the group.
Staged total abdominal debranching and thoracic endovascular aortic repair for thoracoabdominal aneurysm

Objective Thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms (TAAAs) occur most commonly in elderly individuals, who are often suboptimal candidates for open repair because of significant comorbidities. The availability of a hybrid option, including open visceral debranching with endovascular aneurysm exclusion, may have advantages in these patients who are at high-risk for conventional repair. This report details the evolution of our technique and results with complete visceral debranching and endovascular aneurysm exclusion for TAAA repair in high-risk patients. Methods Between March 2005 and June 2011, 47 patients (51% women) underwent extra-anatomic debranching of all visceral vessels, followed by aneurysm exclusion by endovascular means at a single institution. A median of four visceral vessels were bypassed. The debranching procedure was initially performed through a partial right medial visceral rotation approach, leaving the left kidney posterior in the first 22 patients, and in the last 25 by a direct anterior approach to the visceral vessels. The debranching and endovascular portions of the procedure were performed in a single operation in the initial 33 patients and as a staged procedure during a single hospital stay in the most recent 14. Results Median patient age was 71.0 ± 9.8 years. All had significant comorbidity and were considered suboptimal candidates for conventional repair: 55% had undergone previous aortic surgery, 40% were American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class 4, and baseline serum creatinine was 1.5 ± 1.3 mg/dL. The 30-day/in-hospital rates of death, stroke, and permanent paraparesis/plegia were 8.5%, 0%, and 4.3%, respectively, but 0% in the most recent 14 patients undergoing staged repair. These patients had significantly shorter combined operative times (314 vs 373 minutes), decreased intraoperative red blood cell transfusions (350 vs 1400 mL), and were more likely to be extubated in the operating room (50% vs 12%) compared with patients undergoing simultaneous repair. Over a median follow-up of 19.3 ± 18.5 months, visceral graft patency was 97%; all occluded limbs were to renal vessels and clinically silent. There have been no type I or III endoleaks or reinterventions. Kaplan-Meier overall survival is 70.7% at 2 years and 57.9% at 5 years. Conclusions Hybrid TAAA repair through complete visceral debranching and endovascular aneurysm exclusion is a good option for elderly high-risk patients less suited to conventional repair in centers with the requisite surgical expertise with visceral revascularization. A staged approach to debranching and endovascular aneurysm exclusion during a single hospitalization appears to yield optimal results.