cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Anxious Gambler's Ruin

Suppose a person with A dollars decides to risk it in the hope of increasing it to B dollars. This could represent the final attempt of a gambler who has lost almost all of his money in Las Vegas, and now seeks to win just enough for transportation home. He finds a game where the probability of winning is p and where a bet of A dollars potentially pays A dollars; of course, if he loses, he loses that money. In his last-ditch effort, he continues to stake the largest possible amount toward reaching, but not exceeding his goal. Thus, if he currently has A dollars and A < B/2, he risks all of it; if he is more than half-way to his goal, he bets the difference, B A, since winning that amount will bring his purse exactly to B. He stops gambling only when he has either lost all of his money or reached his goal of B. Our gambler might be described as desperate, but the adjective anxious seems more appropriate. Aside from the connotation of nervousness about the outcome, it also suggests the desire to come to a conclusion as soon as possible. This paper deals with both of these aspects of the game: the gambler's chance of reaching his goal (which we will call success), and the expected number of games until he has either achieved success or lost all of his money (which we will call failure). Obviously, this analysis also applies to perfectly calm a person willing to risk a fixed amount of disposable income for a chance at a specific sum of money, but we continue with the image of the anxious gambler. This is a variation of the classic problem known as "the gambler's ruin." In that case, a gambler with A dollars continually bets $1 against an opponent with B A dollars until one of them is "ruined". If the gambler with an original amount of A has probability p of winning each game, then his probability of not being ruined (his chance of achieving B dollars before falling to 0) is given by:
Das Verhalten der Wärmebildung des isolierten Froschmuskels während der Treppe

1. Es wird die initiale Warmebildung des isolierten Froschsartorius nach Nervenreiz (Einzelreiz und kurze Tetani bis 0,2 Sekunden) wahrend der Erscheinung der Treppe gemessen. 2. Mit zunehmender Zuckungszahl nimmt der Wirkungsgrad (reziproker Wert des isometrischen Quotienten) zu, bis derselbe auf der Hohe der Treppe einen optimalen Wert erreicht. 3. Fur das Verhalten des Wirkungsgrades ist es gleichgultig, ob die Spannungskurven eine „echte Treppe“, „einleitende Zuckungen“ oder „umgekehrte Treppe“ erkennen lassen. 4. Die Form der Treppe ist abhangig von dem Verhalten der Warmebildung. Bleibt die Warmebildung fur alle Zuckungen der Treppe konstant, so zeigen die Spannungskurven echte Treppe. Je mehr aber die Warmebildung mit der Zuckungszahl abnimmt, um so ausgesprochener lassen die Spannungskurven eine „Umkehr der Treppe“ erkennen. 5. Das Verhalten der Warmebildung wahrend der Treppe ist abhangig von der Vorbehandlung der Frosche.Kaltfrosche zeigen gleichbleibende Warmebildung, wahrend Warmfrosche, je langer sie im Warmen gehalten worden waren, eine desto starkere Abnahme der Warmebildung wahrend der Treppe erkennen lassen. 6. Die Herstellung der optimalen Bedingung bei der Treppe zeigt eine grosere Abhangigkeit von der Zeit, die seit der ersten Zuckung verstrichen ist, als von der erfolgten Zuckungszahl. Die Wiederherstellung des ursprunglichen, unokonomischeren Muskelzustandes erfordert eine relativ lange Ruhepause, die durch Auswaschen des Muskels nicht wesentlich verkurzt wird.
Comparison of Diluents for Holding Cock Semen Six Hours at 41 C

Abstract Beltsville Poultry Semen Extender (BPSE) and Lake's Diluent A (LDA) were compared with minimum essential medium (MEM) for their ability to maintain the fertilizing capacity of cock semen held 6 hr at 41 C. Motility significantly declined from the beginning to the end of the holding period for semen in BPSE and LDA. Only in LDA, however, were the number of live spermatozoa significantly reduced. Although there were no differences in oxygen (O2) consumption measured at 1 and 6 hr for semen in BPSE and MEM, a significant reduction in O2 consumption was observed between these time periods for semen in LDA. Fertility of semen held in MEM (90.3%) was significantly higher than the unstored control semen (82.9%) and semen held in either BPSE (3.5%) or LDA (1.9%). No differences in hatchability of fertile eggs were observed between the semen groups.
The Function Analysis And Repair Technology of Large-Scale Compressor's Piston & Column

Large - scale piston and column are expensive. Based on the function analysis Of each part,making use of new stick technology and new material, more simple repair technology is worked out. The repaired piston and column not only sav the repairing cost,but also prolong the service life which is superior to the original design.
Frog Heart Monomeric Hemoglobin

In order to use the amino acid sequence of orthologous proteins for the systematic study of evolutionary relationships, especially for the study of tetrapod origin, we’ve been studying the structure of myoglobins from lower vertebrates. Although myoglobins have been isolated and sequenced from mammals, birds, reptiles and fish, no amphibian myoglobin have been structurally studied so far. Our effort to isolate myoglobin from skeletal muscles of amphibians such as bullfrogs, a conger eel, and mud puppies was unsuccessful because of the very low content of monomeric heme proteins in their muscles. The consideration that the intercellular hemo-protein is important to facilitate the uptake and transport of oxygen in heart muscles led us to study the heart muscles of bullfrog. Rana catesbeiana. A monomeric heme protein isolated and sequenced, however, is substantially different in size and in sequence from other myoglobins and from hemoglobins. The protein is composed of 132 amino acid residues and has a molecular weight of about 14,000. This is the shortest heme globin so far known.
Therapeutic drug monitoring of mexiletine at a large academic medical center

Introduction:The therapeutic trough range for mexiletine (0.8–2 mcg/mL) was largely established in the setting of arrhythmia prophylaxis following myocardial infarction.Objective:Describe the usage...
Fish feeding behaviour and fish capture: the case for variation in Lapita fishing strategies

Les relations entre la nourriture a base de poissons et les strategies de predation sont examinees dans l'ordre de maniere a identifier celles de peches se rapportant a la culture Lapita. Les proprietes inherentes des herbivres/omnivores opposees a celles des carnivores suggerent que les manieres relatives aux strategies de peche sont plus adaptees pour attraper du poisson. Des comparaisons etablies a partir de neuf sites Lapita repartis depuis Les iles Mussau, la Papouasie-Nouvelle-Guinee jusqu'a la Polynesie occidentale presentent des divergences dans la representation ichtyologique des depots fauniques. La plupart des assemblages melanesiens occidentaux comprennent des frequences similaires de carnivores et d'herbivores/omnivores tandis que les Lapita orientaux sont domines par des assemblages herbivores/omnivores
A model of informational nudging in transportation networks

Building on an existing model of coupled traffic/ driver decision-making in transportation networks, this paper investigates a mechanism for influencing drivers' en route choices. We consider dynamical transportation networks in a framework where drivers' route choices are affected by their response to an announced global information, as well as by a myopic observation of the surrounding congestion levels. Such a behavior is modeled by a system of ordinary differential equations. Furthermore, a traffic recommender is introduced to provide possibly misleading global information to drivers so as to influence their route choices in a way consistent with Thaler and Sunstein's concept of (informational) nudge. Our main result shows that the traffic recommender can create and stabilize any desired equilibrium on transportation networks by assuming that drivers always tend to minimize their expected travel cost, conditional on their past experience and the announced global information.
Design of a tuned mass damper for high quality factor suspension modes in Advanced LIGO

We discuss the requirements, design, and performance of a tuned mass damper which we have developed to damp the highest frequency pendulum modes of the quadruple suspensions which support the test masses in the two advanced detectors of the Laser Interferometric Gravitational-Wave Observatory. The design has to meet the requirements on mass, size, and level of damping to avoid unduly compromising the suspension thermal noise performance and to allow retrofitting of the dampers to the suspensions with minimal changes to the existing suspensions. We have produced a design satisfying our requirements which can reduce the quality factor of these modes from ∼500 000 to less than 10 000, reducing the time taken for the modes to damp down from several hours to a few minutes or less.
“A Home for Me When I Am So Far from Home”: Perceptions of Libraries by Immigrant Mothers in Language Acquisition and Cultural Acclimation

This phenomenological study examines the unique perceptions of immigrant women concerning the public library as a meeting place, a support to integration into American culture, and a provider of pr...
Electronic Communication of Protected Health Information: Privacy, Security, and HIPAA Compliance

Purpose Technology has enhanced modern health care delivery, particularly through accessibility to health information and ease of communication with tools like mobile device messaging (texting). However, text messaging has created new risks for breach of protected health information (PHI). In the current study, we sought to evaluate hand surgeons' knowledge and compliance with privacy and security standards for electronic communication by text message. Methods A cross-sectional survey of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand membership was conducted in March and April 2016. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were performed of composite results as well as relevant subgroup analyses. Results A total of 409 responses were obtained (11% response rate). Although 63% of surgeons reported that they believe that text messaging does not meet Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 security standards, only 37% reported they do not use text messages to communicate PHI. Younger surgeons and respondents who believed that their texting was compliant were statistically significantly more like to report messaging of PHI (odds ratio, 1.59 and 1.22, respectively). Discussion A majority of hand surgeons in this study reported the use of text messaging to communicate PHI. Of note, neither the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 statute nor US Department of Health and Human Services specifically prohibits this form of electronic communication. To be compliant, surgeons, practices, and institutions need to take reasonable security precautions to prevent breach of privacy with electronic communication. Clinical relevance Communication of clinical information by text message is not prohibited under Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, but surgeons should use appropriate safeguards to prevent breach when using this form of communication.
Pseudo-static failure modes and yield accelerations in rock slopes

Abstract Earthquake-induced landslide databases indicate that failure modes, observed in the field following earthquakes, include sliding, toppling, and slumping. Methods based on simplified, discrete, single block models are limited to rectangular blocks on a plane or wedge blocks that restrict the potential failure modes to sliding or toppling. This paper expands the geometry assumptions so that additional failure modes will be kinematically admissible. A simple, yet broadly applicable, two-dimensional (2D) single block framework is introduced that does not restrict the geometry to orthogonal fracture sets . This framework allows for the slumping failure mode to naturally occur and can identify a new failure mode, confined toppling. Using simple failure mode charts, this framework can be easily applied to a wide range of analysis and design applications. In addition to the identification of new failure modes, seismic yield acceleration equations are presented for all four modes of failure: sliding, toppling, slumping, and confined toppling. The equations for slumping and confined toppling are derived for the first time. Although the model may be simple in its formulation and implementation, it is quite powerful, allowing for significant implications to be developed. Complex shaped blocks can be easily evaluated knowing just their centers of mass and contact points with supporting fractures. The failure mode of a discrete rock block is shown to be independent of the primary fracture inclination on which the block rests upon and the scale of the block itself. Seismic failure modes are demonstrated to be different from those induced by static forces alone and can even change modes depending on the amount of displacement during the ground motion. In addition, it is shown that the characteristics of an earthquake ground motion acting on these blocks in combination with geometric variability can influence the abundance of failure types observed in the field. Finally, an example mode and yield acceleration evaluation of Alaskan rock slope is presented.
Control of Gap Junction Permeability can Control Pattern Formation in Limb Development

It is known that in many developing systems the developmental pathway taken by a cell depends not only on its genome and history, but also on where it is in relation to other cells (Wolpert 1969). Consequently, in order to understand how a relatively unstructured egg leads to an adult organism with many different cell types arranged in the appropriate spatial pattern, it is necessary to understand how the spatial pattern of cellular differentiation is controlled. Spatially-dependent differentiation, or pattern formation for short, is often thought to result from the response of individual cells to an underlying spatial pattern of one or more substances called morphogens, which directly or indirectly initiate cellular differentiation (Wolpert 1969; Meinhardt 1982). Turing (1952), who coined the term morphogen, suggested a mechanism by which an initially-homogeneous distribution of morphogens could give rise to a spatial pattern through the interaction of reaction and diffusion.
Speeding up Bayesian HMM by the four Russians method

Bayesian computations with Hidden Markov Models (HMMs) are often avoided in practice. Instead, due to reduced running time, point estimates - maximum likelihood (ML) or maximum a posterior (MAP) - are obtained and observation sequences are segmented based on the Viterbi path, even though the lack of accuracy and dependency on starting points of the local optimization are well known. We propose a method to speed-up Bayesian computations which addresses this problem for regular and time-dependent HMMs with discrete observations. In particular, we show that by exploiting sequence repetitions, using the four Russians method, and the conditional dependency structure, it is possible to achieve a Θ(log T) speed-up, where T is the length of the observation sequence. Our experimental results on identification of segments of homogeneous nucleic acid composition, known as the DNA segmentation problem, show that the speed-up is also observed in practice.
Human red blood cell Wright antigens: a genetic and evolutionary perspective on glycophorin A-band 3 interaction

The Wright (Wra/Wrb) blood group polymorphism is defined by an allelic change (Lys658Glu) in the band 3 protein; nevertheless, the Wrb antigen apparently requires glycophorin A (GPA) for surface presentation. To gain insight into the structural basis for this protein-protein interaction and delineate its relationship with Wrb antigen expression, we investigated GPA and band 3 sequence polymorphisms occurring in rare humans and nonhuman primates. The lack of GPA or amino acid residues 59 through 71 of GPA results in the absence of Wrb from human red blood cells (RBCs) exhibiting the MkMk, En(a-), or MiV phenotype. However, the SAT homozygous cells carried a Glu658 form of band 3 and a hybrid glycophorin with the entire GPA extramembrane domain from residues 1 through 71, yet expressed no Wrb antigen. This finding suggests that formation of the Wrb antigenic structure is dependent on protein folding and that the transmembrane junction of GPA is important in maintaining the required conformation. Comparative analyses of GPA and band 3 homologues led to the identification in the interacting regions of conserved and dispensable amino acid residues that correlated with the Wrb positive or negative status on nonhuman primates. In particular, the chimpanzee RBCs cells expressed Wrb and the Glu658 form of band 3, which is identical to humans, but their GPA contained the Gly rather than Arg residue at position 61. Taken together, the results suggest that (1) Arg61 of GPA and the proposed Arg61-Glu658 charge pair are not crucial for Wrb antigen exhibition and (2) the role of GPA for interaction with band 3, including Glu658, probably involves a number of amino acid residues located in the alpha-helical region and transmembrane junction.
The operating characteristics of the hypothalamic-pituitary system during the menstrual cycle and observations of biological action of somatostatin.

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the investigations conducted over the past few years on the interaction between the hypothalamic hormone(s) and gonadal steroids in the regulation of cyclic gonadotropin output by the adenohypophysis in humans. It describes hypothalamus as a neuroendocrine regulator. It also reviews the observations on the biological actions of hypothalamic somatostatin in humans. The description of the hypothalamic-hypophysial portal system and the subsequent presentation of a number of anatomical and physiological observations led to the proposal that the hypothalamus is critically involved in the control of anterior pituitary function. The chapter presents the three elements of the hypothalamic-hypophysial portal system: (1) the CNS-hypothalamus complex that may be regarded as a signal generator, (2) the pituitary as a signal transmitter, and (3) the cyclic ovarian steroid output as a signal modulator. It reviews the regulation of the hypothalamic-hypophysial- gonadal system in humans within this general context.
An ethanolic extract of Artemisia scoparia inhibits lipolysis in vivo and has antilipolytic effects on murine adipocytes in vitro

An ethanolic extract of Artemisia scoparia (SCO) has metabolically favorable effects on adipocyte development and function in vitro and in vivo. In diet-induced obese mice, SCO supplementation sign...
A Bayesian method for computing intrinsic pitch values using kernel density and nonparametric regression estimates

The deployment of sensors that characterize the trajectory of pitches and batted balls in three dimensions provides the opportunity to assign an intrinsic value to a pitch that depends on its physical properties and not on its observed outcome. We exploit this opportunity by using a Bayesian framework to learn a set of mappings from five-dimensional velocity, movement, and location vectors to intrinsic pitch values. A kernel method generates nonparametric estimates for the component probability density functions in Bayes theorem while nonparametric regression is used to derive a batted ball weight function that is invariant to the defense, ballpark, and atmospheric conditions. Cross-validation is used to determine the parameters of the model. We use Cronbach’s alpha to show that intrinsic pitch values have a significantly higher reliability than outcome-based pitch values. We also develop a method to combine intrinsic values at the individual pitch level into a statistic that captures the value of a pitcher’s collection of pitches over a period of time. We use this statistic to show that pitchers who outperform their intrinsic values during a season tend to perform worse the following year. We also show that this statistic provides better predictive value for future Earned Run Average (ERA) than either current ERA or Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP).
Reimagining and Empowering the Design of Projects: A Project-Based Learning Goals Framework

How is project-based learning (PjBL) defined and what is its purpose? What makes a “good” PjBL experience? How authentic should projects be? Who chooses the project topic or challenge? Should students work on teams, present their work to experts, or write a self-assessment? Over the years, instructional designers and educational theorists have proposed different answers to these questions, and crafted expert recommendations on what projects should do or be, and how PjBL ought to look. Our on-the-ground experience has illustrated, not surprisingly, that PjBL is quite different in theory and practice. We find that PjBL is a flexible pedagogical approach that can help instructors in a myriad of ways; but a single project cannot do everything, and instructors must grapple with difficult trade-offs to shape a compelling PjBL learning experience. In this paper, we present a goals framework that enables instructors seeking to engage with PjBL to intentionally design PjBL experiences that encourage broad competency development, and to consider the fundamental question: What are you trying to support or achieve with a project? The framework describes broad competencies that transcend disciplines, emphasizes learning multiple domains (cognitive, affective, social, and psychomotor), and encourages flexible and non-prescriptive usage. The goals framework offers value to instructors as a communication tool, an analytical tool, and a design tool.
Photosynthesis: Photons to Protons

Most of the chlorophyll or bacteriochlorophyll molecules in the photosynthetic organelle serve as an antenna for light gathering. Approximately one chlorophyll molecule out of 500, and one bacteriochlorophyll molecule out of 50–100, is connected to the electron transport chain through special reaction center (bacterio)chlorophylls that trap excitation energy because they can transfer electrons with high efficiency on a picosecond time scale from the excited state to an acceptor. The theory of light energy transfer is central to photosynthesis, and also important for topographical studies of distance mapping between sites in macromolecules labelled with fluorescent probes.
High-resolution molecular identification of smalltooth sawfish prey

The foundation of food web analysis is a solid understanding of predator-prey associations. Traditional dietary studies of fishes have been by stomach content analysis. However, these methods are not applicable to Critically Endangered species such as the smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata). Previous research using the combination of stable isotope signatures from fin clips and 18S rRNA gene sequencing of fecal samples identified the smalltooth sawfish as piscivorous at low taxonomic resolution. Here, we present a high taxonomic resolution molecular technique for identification of prey using opportunistically acquired fecal samples. To assess potential biases, primer sets of two mitochondrial genes, 12S and 16S rRNA, were used alongside 18S rRNA, which targets a wider spectrum of taxa. In total, 19 fish taxa from 7 orders and 11 families native to the Gulf of Mexico were successfully identified. The sawfish prey comprised diverse taxa, indicating that this species is a generalist piscivore. These findings and the molecular approach used will aid recovery planning for the smalltooth sawfish and have the potential to reveal previously unknown predator-prey associations from a wide range of taxa, especially rare and hard to sample species.
Mechanisms of hepatic cancer by persistent organic pollutants

Abstract Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are a group of organic chemicals, as defined by the Stockholm Convention that are persistent in the environment and accumulate in organisms including humans. Most POPs are restricted in use or no longer manufactured because of this persistence, bioaccumulation, and toxicity. In addition, an association between POP exposure and human disease has been suggested. Regarding toxicological effects and particularly cancer, most POPs have been shown to induce hepatic tumors when chronically administered to rodents. Understanding the mechanisms by which POPs induce liver cancer is important in developing meaningful human cancer risk evaluation to these compounds. In this article, we have reviewed the probable mechanisms of hepatic cancer induced by POPs mode of action and molecular initiating events and the relationship of these mechanisms to potential human cancer risk.
The dropout effects of career pathways: Evidence from California

Abstract Contemporary Career and Technical Education (CTE) models have shifted from isolated courses to sequences of study that integrate academics and skills in high-demand sectors. Providing career pathways to high school students may reduce asymmetries about the available careers and strategies for attaining them but they may also catalyze students’ intrinsic motivation by shifting their understanding of their social role and capacity for success. In this study, I estimate the effects of an ambitious $500 million effort to encourage the formation of career pathways in California. Funding supported the formation of tripartite partnerships between K-12 school districts, employers and community colleges to develop career pathway curricula (i.e., articulated course sequences) in high-demand occupations and sectors. I provide causal estimates of implementing this multifaceted intervention by leveraging a natural experiment that occurs at the margin of grant receipt. Using Regression Discontinuity (RD) designs, I provide evidence on the most proximate mechanism, increased CTE spending. Per pupil CTE expenditures increased by 21.7 percent for grant recipients at the assignment threshold relative to the CTE spending of unsuccessful applicants. Furthermore, dropout rates declined by 23 percent in treatment districts but were more pronounced for females than males.
Programmed T Cell Differentiation: Implications for Transplantation

Abstract While T cells play a critical role in protective immunity against infection, they are also responsible for graft rejection in the setting of transplantation. T cell differentiation is regulated by both intrinsic transcriptional pathways as well as extrinsic factors such as antigen encounter and the cytokine milieu. Herein, we review recent discoveries in the transcriptional regulation of T cell differentiation and their impact on the field of transplantation. Recent studies uncovering context-dependent differentiation programs that differ in the setting of infection or transplantation will also be discussed. Understanding the key transcriptional pathways that underlie T cell responses in transplantation has important clinical implications, including development of novel therapeutic agents to mitigate graft rejection.
Will Workers Want To Be Laid Off

The short-term income benefits from expanded unemployment insurance are unlikely to outweigh the long-term benefits of working.
Abstract 16122: Comparative Risk of Incident Coronary Heart Disease Across Multiple Chronic Inflammatory Diseases

Introduction: Inflammation plays an important role in the pathogenesis of coronary heart disease (CHD). Chronic inflammatory diseases (CIDs) may serve as models to provide insights into the relatio...
Association of hepatitis C infection and acute coronary syndrome: A case-control study.

ABSTRACT Infections with hepatitis C virus (HCV) represent a substantial national and international public health burden. HCV has been associated with numerous extrahepatic conditions and can lead to metabolic derangements that are associated with atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. We investigated whether HCV infection is associated with an increased number of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) events among hospitalized patients in an inner-city tertiary hospital.We performed a matched (age, sex, and race/ethnicity) case-control study on patients at least 18 years old admitted to inpatient medical and cardiac services at the University of Maryland Medical Center from 2015 through 2018. The primary outcome was ACS and the primary exposure was HCV infection. Covariates of interest included: alcohol use, tobacco use, illicit drug use, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, human immunodeficiency virus infection, body mass index, dyslipidemia, and family history of coronary heart disease. Covariates with significant associations with both exposure and outcome in bivariate analyses were included in the multivariable analyses of the final adjusted model.There were 1555 cases and 3110 controls included in the final sample. Almost 2% of cases and 2.4% of controls were HCV infected. In adjusted models, there was no significant association found between experiencing an ACS event in those with HCV infection compared to those without HCV infection (odds ratio 0.71, 95% confidence interval 0.45-1.11).We found no significant association between HCV infection and ACS in our study population. However, given the mixed existing literature, the association between HCV and ACS warrants further investigation in future prospective cohort and/or interventional studies.
La tierra y la sombra: cine háptico, violencia ambiental y desplazamiento forzado en Colombia

The film Land and Shade (2015) by Cesar Acevedo (Colombia, 1984) tells the story of a family that refuses to leave a territory from which all the other peasants have been displaced due to the imposition of the sugar cane monoculture in Valle del Cauca. The main question of this paper is what are the causes and consequences of forced displacement that the film presents and what do they have to do with ecological territories? I argue that through haptic film techniques (Marks 2000), which use vision as a sense of touch, the film makes viewers experience some of effects of the environmental violence that Rob Nixon (2011) calls slow violence. I argue the film not only explores the peasant migration from one rural space to another, but also deals with the movement of political borders on ecological territories caused by the extractivism of the sugar cane monoculture. I claim that slow violence is also exercised against non-human beings and ecosystems and I explore how the film exposes different types of precariousness and turns the viewer into a witness of this type of political violence.
A Laboratory Observation on the Acoustic Emission Point Cloud Caused by Hydraulic Fracturing, and the Post-pressure Breakdown Hydraulic Fracturing Re-activation due to Nearby Fault

We re-investigate the laboratory acoustic emission (AE) source location from a hydraulic fracturing test. This test produces temporally well-separated AE releases exhibiting first the reverse Omori–Utsu law (ROU-AEs), and following later the normal Omori–Utsu law (NOU-AEs) behaviors. One fault was cut in the hydraulic fracturing specimen. The spatial permeability changes along the direction of minimum in-situ stress were previously measured on two series of sub-cores. However, the previously published AE source location, which is produced from a commercial software, suffers from several issues. Through data re-analysis, we discover: (1) areas of high AE source concentration in the period of ROU-AEs can support the reverse permeability-distance relationship which is discovered by the commercial software, as well as can be closely correlated with the actual hydraulic fracturing path. (2) The AE point cloud in the period of NOU-AEs after pressure breakdown has re-oriented towards the pre-existing fault, highlighting the influence of nearby structure on hydraulic fracture growth. (3) The peak of ROU-AEs is well synchronized with the borehole pressure breakdown, while the NOU-AEs are released under significantly decreased borehole pressure. (4) The evidence suggests the ROU-period is primarily associated with hydraulic fracture creation, while the NOU-AEs may be correlated with the re-activation of the hydraulic fracture under the influence of the nearby fault.
Prospects for Realizing International Women’s Rights Law Through Local Governance: the Case of Cities for CEDAW

How best to realize international human rights law in practice has proved a vexing problem. The challenge is compounded in the USA, which has not ratified several treaties including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). The Cities for CEDAW movement addresses this deficit by encouraging cities to endorse and implement CEDAW norms. In doing so, it seeks to catalyze a local boomerang effect, whereby progressive political momentum at the local level generates internal pressure from below to improve gender equity outcomes across the country and eventually, at the national level. In this article, we trace the diffusion of Cities for CEDAW activism with attention to the case of Cincinnati and analyze its implications for advancing women’s rights principles. We argue that while Cities for CEDAW has potential to enhance respect for women’s rights in local jurisdictions, its impact on national policy remains limited.
Microscopic level modeling of induction welding heating mechanisms in thermoplastic composites

Simulation and analysis of electromagnetic induction heating of continuous conductive fiber-based composite materials is used to (in)validate a series of hypotheses on the physics dominating the he...
COVID-19 Healthcare Inequity: Lessons Learned from Annual Influenza Vaccination Rates to Mitigate COVID-19 Vaccine Disparities

The COVID-19 pandemic has infected 33 million Americans and resulted in more than 600,000 deaths as of late Spring 2021. Black, Indigenous, and Latinx (BIL) people are disproportionately infected, hospitalized, and dying. Effective vaccines were rapidly developed and have been widely available in the United States since their initial rollout in late 2020-early 2021 but vaccination rates in BIL communities have remained low compared with non-BIL communities. Limited access to the vaccine, lack of customized information, and mistrust of the medical system, all contribute to vaccine hesitancy and low vaccination rates. Regrettably, COVID-19 is not the only vaccine-preventable illness with racial/ethnic inequities. Similar inequities are seen with the seasonal influenza vaccine. We review the racial/ethnic health disparities in COVID-19 illness and vaccination rates and what inequities contribute to these disparities. We use evidence from the seasonal influenza vaccination efforts to inform potential strategies to attenuate these inequities. The development of effective and sustainable strategies to improve vaccination rates and reduce factors that result in health inequities is essential in managing current and future pandemics and promoting improved health for all communities.
To Practice Or Perish

Professional practice of engineering must include the responsibilities to serve society as well as technical competence. The education of engineers must lead to practice in its broadest sense or the profession will perish. Priorities must be reexamined, decision making must be reclaimed, and education must be reoriented toward professionalism, encompassing leadership of and involvement in societal affairs to help established political priorities. No optimum criterion is given, but survey data are presented and references cited to substantiate the observations. Professional schools of engineering, independent of university graduate schools and staffed with faculties whose experience is adequate, providing 6-yr curricula with meaningful industrial internships, are recommended, emphasizing engineering practice rather than engineering research. An alternate plan might necessitate the establishment of such programs by industry with National (Society) Specialty Boards to accredit them and examining those so educated.
Comparison of prevalence of childhood asthma in two different African-American communities in Columbus area. A pilot study

Asthma prevalence is on the rise and children in minority communities have the highest prevalence. Objective: Pilot study done at Mission Day School (private elementary school) and at New Salem Baptist Church (urban inner city neighborhood) in Columbus, OH, to understand asthma prevalence in two communities with same racial but different socio-economic status. All children were African Americans. Methods: Asthma screening was done using validated “Easy Breathing Survey (Hall CB et al . J Pediatr 2001;139:267-72)" with 4 questions. A positive response to any of the 4 questions has 94% sensitivity for asthma and specificity [% (95%CI)] of each question between 66% - 86%. Results: Questionnaire was sent to 105 families at both places. Fifty four families at school and 53 families at church completed the survey. Comparing data from school and church revealed median age 7 and 9 years, M:F 28:26 and 27:26, family history of asthma 24 and 27, known asthma triggers in 16 and 18 children respectively. Nine (16%) children at both sites had previous diagnosis of asthma and among them, 8 at school and all nine at church still had positive responses to survey. Additional 27 children at school and 26 at church responded positively to questions on survey though none of them had a previous diagnosis of asthma and about one third of them at both sites had required acute care for asthma within a year. Conclusions: Asthma prevalence is high in African American community irrespective of their socio-economic status. In the majority, symptoms are not well controlled. More than half of children at both sites had positive survey suggesting that they might have undiagnosed asthma.
Efficient needle plasma actuators for flow control and surface cooling

We introduce a milliwatt class needle actuator suitable for plasma channels, vortex generation, and surface cooling. Electrode configurations tested for a channel configuration show 1400% and 300% increase in energy conversion efficiency as compared to conventional surface and channel corona actuators, respectively, generating up to 3.4 m/s air jet across the channel outlet. The positive polarity of the needle is shown to have a beneficial effect on actuator efficiency. Needle-plate configuration is demonstrated for improving cooling of a flat surface with a 57% increase in convective heat transfer coefficient. Vortex generation by selective input signal manipulation is also demonstrated.
The 4 x 4 Semantic Model: Exploiting Data, Functional, Non-functional and Execution Semantics Across Business Process, Workflow, Partner Services and Middleware Services Tiers

Globalization and outsourcing provide businesses with new means to cost-effective solutions. At the same time, however, they greatly increase the complexity of managing business processes. This complexity can be attributed largely to the dynamic and distributed nature of the business environment ushered in by globalization. Businesses find themselves involved in complex inter- and intra-organizational transactions, when they make a decision such as outsourcing. In this globalized environment, there is a need for organizations to recognize a variety of factors (such as the socio-economic climate of the partners, the shipping resources and capabilities etc.), which can have an impact on its business objectives. Lack of awareness to changes related to partners can prove catastrophic for organizations, as demonstrated by how Ericsson lost significant market share and incurred negative business transformation through its inability to adapt to events [1]. Another dimension brought forth by globalization is the manifold increase in the number of options that organizations have when it comes to choosing partners. While on one hand, the aggressive and competitive nature of the global market place helps organizations to reduce costs, the challenges on the other hand lie in selecting those partners that maximize the profitability and minimize the risk. To address these challenges, organizations need to create and enact business process that are very flexible and at the same time, also be able to adapt to the various factors mentioned earlier. Organizations are increasingly trying to leverage the XML driven and loosely couple nature of Service Oriented Architectures (SOA) to realize these objectives.
Modeling high-speed viscous liquid sheet atomization

Abstract A linear stability analysis is presented for a liquid sheet that includes the effects of the surrounding gas, surface tension and the liquid viscosity on the wave growth process. An inviscid dispersion relation is used to identify the transition from a long wavelength regime to a short wavelength regime, analogous to the first and second wind induced breakup regimes of cylindrical liquid jets. This transition, which is found to occur at a gas Weber number of 27/16, is used to simplify the viscous dispersion relation for use in multi-dimensional simulations of sheet breakup. The resulting dispersion relation is used to predict the maximum unstable growth rate and wave length, the sheet breakup length and the resulting drop size for pressure-swirl atomizers. The predicted drop size is used as a boundary condition in a multi-dimensional spray model. The results show that the model is able to accurately predict liquid spray penetration, local Sauter mean diameter and overall spray shape.
The radio-frequency current-drive system for the ARIES-I tokamak power reactor

Abstract Fast waves in the ion cyclotron range of frequencies are proposed as the reference current driver for the ARIES-I conceptual tokamak power reactor. An RF power of 100 MW at 141 MHz is launched from above the plasma outboard midplane to drive the required 3.3 MA seed current in the core. Folded waveguides are used as wave launchers because of their observed higher power-handling capability compared to loops, and compact and robust structure. The wave guide will be made of silicon-carbide matrix composite material embedded with copper near the surface, in order to take advantage of its favorable safety and environmental features. The entire coupler system is compact, consisting of two poloidally stacked 12-waveguide toroidal arrays with a directivity of ≤ 95% and a coupling efficiency of ∼ 97%. The RF current-drive system uses primarily technologies that require a reasonably modest development program to reach its projected efficiency of 71% in 30–40 years.
Reliving, emotions, and fragmentation in the autobiographical memories of veterans diagnosed with PTSD

SUMMARY Fifty veterans diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) each recalled four autobiographical memories: one from the 2 years before service, one non-combat memory from the time in service, one from combat, and one from service that had often come as an intrusive memory. For each memory, they provided 21 ratings about reliving, belief, sensory properties, reexperiencing emotions, visceral emotional responses, fragmentation, and narrative coherence. We used these ratings to examine three claims about traumatic memories: a separation of cognitive and visceral aspects of emotion, an increased sense of reliving, and increased fragmentation. There was evidence for a partial separation of cognitive judgments of reexperiencing an emotion and reports of visceral symptoms of the emotion, with visceral symptoms correlating more consistently with scores on PTSD tests. Reliving, but not fragmentation of the memories, increased with increases in the trauma relatedness of the event and with increases in scores on standardized tests of PTSD severity. Copyright # 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Photogrammetric image registration (PIR) of MTI imagery

This paper describes the use of photogrammetric principles to georeference imagery collected by the Multispectral Thermal Imager (MTI) satellite. The photogrammetric image registration (PIR) method consists of two main parts. The first part estimates a trajectory (exterior orientation as a function of time) for the sensor based on a photogrammetric bundle adjustment governed by user defined ground control points. The ground control points are defined by manual identification of conjugate points between the LEVEL1B_U imagery and reference data (an orthoimage and a digital elevation model derived from aerial photography). The second part uses this trajectory as input to a direct georeferencing method to determine the location of each pixel in the imagery. The PIR method uses mathematical models of the sensor, its trajectory, timing, and the terrain to mimic the actual image acquisition event. It was found that accurate calculation of the exterior orientation parameters was not a requirement to obtain accurately georeferenced imagery. This is particularly intriguing, and deserves more in-depth study, because the values of the exterior orientation parameters solved for through photogrammetric bundle adjustment are known to be in disagreement with the actual motion of the satellite platform. The individual steps of the PIR method, the mathematical models used, and the results of georeferencing MTI imagery through the use of this approach are described.
Evidence for occurrence, persistence, and growth potential of Escherichia coli and enterococci in Hawaii's soil environments.

High densities of the fecal indicator bacteria (FIB), Escherichia coli and enterococci, with counts often exceeding the allowable standard for recreational freshwaters (e.g., geometric mean 126 colony-forming units, CFU 100 mL−1, E. coli; 35 CFU 100 mL−1, enterococci), are common in the watersheds of tropical islands, such as Hawaii, Guam, and Puerto Rico (15, 17, 22). Numerous sanitary surveys conducted over the years have suggested that these bacteria were likely derived from environmental sources unrelated to fecal contamination since high FIB densities were rather common in relatively pristine waters (5, 17, 35). Early investigations indicated that stream bank/riparian soils were the likely source of the indicator bacteria in the water, introduced by runoff and related hydrological processes (15, 21). Subsequent studies have confirmed the occurrence of E. coli in soils across geographical locations with comparable biomes: in particular, Puerto Rico (27) and south Florida (12, 39). It should, however, be emphasized that many of these studies have focused on soils around stream or river banks; thus, the extent of FIB occurrence, distribution, and growth potential in a wide range of soils types remains little understood. The main objectives of the current investigation were to (a) determine the prevalence and relative distribution of FIB (fecal coliform, E. coli, and enterococci) in different soil groups (referred to as soil associations henceforth) on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, (b) identify and confirm the existence in soil of E. coli and enterococci bacteria using traditional cultural and biochemical methods, and (c) determine whether E. coli and enterococci have the ability to persist and grow in the soil environment. To our knowledge, the current study is the first detailed investigation on the occurrence, distribution, and characterization of E. coli and enterococci in natural, tropical soil environments.