cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
THE END OF ART

Martindale (2009) suggests that all of art is coming, or has already come, to anend. Following Hegel’s lead, he suggests that all new art must communicatewhilebeing recognizably new. Thesetwo criteria—communicationand novelty—cannot provoke any Hegelian synthesis because eventually one of these criteriamust be consistently violated. As arts evolve, the likelihood of communicativevalue in a particular new artwork decreases significantly if it is not sufficientlynew, and newness is increasingly hard to obtain. Moreover, because art hascontinually sought out new venues, these venues will be at increasing distancefrom some norm. Thus, a particular new and novel artwork runs the risk of nolonger communicating.One might be skeptical of such a bold view but Martindale also summarizesmuch data—most of it his own—in support of part of his claim.He finds increasesin unpredictability and/or novelty in French, British, and American poetry;English, French, and German music; Italian, French, English, and Americanpainting;Japanesegraphicworks;anddiversesculpture—allovermanycenturies.All of these data are entirely believable, and they are wonderful to have.And importantly, they support Martindale’s (1975, 1990) view of the evolutionof the arts. But do they also support their demise? Martindale has only predicted(for poetry) or claimed (for classical music, painting, and sculpture) such ends.How to assess this?If the arts have ended, such a conclusion depends entirely on what is meantby the two criticalterms—theend and thearts. In response I offer five gambits:thefirst three suggest that the end of art seems not to be near; on the other hand,the fourth suggests that the end of older art is tautologically defined; and the last
Ocean Sciences Award

The Ocean Science Award is given for “outstanding service to the marine science community. Service may include leadership, management, sharing of data, analysis techniques, or models, as well as facility or instrumentation development. In every case, the service must go well beyond the normal requirements of an individual's job. The individual must be nationally recognized for such service”.
Generalized Digital Certificate for User Authentication and Key Establishment for Secure Communications

Public-key digital certificate has been widely used in public-key infrastructure (PKI) to provide user public key authentication. However, the public-key digital certificate itself cannot be used as a security factor to authenticate user. In this paper, we propose the concept of generalized digital certificate (GDC) that can be used to provide user authentication and key agreement. A GDC contains user's public information, such as the information of user's digital driver's license, the information of a digital birth certificate, etc., and a digital signature of the public information signed by a trusted certificate authority (CA). However, the GDC does not contain any user's public key. Since the user does not have any private and public key pair, key management in using GDC is much simpler than using public-key digital certificate. The digital signature of the GDC is used as a secret token of each user that will never be revealed to any verifier. Instead, the owner proves to the verifier that he has the knowledge of the signature by responding to the verifier's challenge. Based on this concept, we propose both discrete logarithm (DL)-based and integer factoring (IF)-based protocols that can achieve user authentication and secret key establishment.
Validation of an in vitro model for predicting rumen and total-tract fiber digestibility in dairy cows fed corn silages with different in vitro neutral detergent fiber digestibilities at 2 levels of dry matter intake.

Abstract An in vivo study was performed to validate an in vitro procedure that predicts rate of fiber digestion and total-tract neutral detergent fiber digestibility (TTNDFD). Two corn silages that differed in fiber digestibility were used in this trial. The corn silage with lower fiber digestibility (LFDCS) had the TTNDFD prediction of 36.0% of total NDF, whereas TTNDFD for the corn silage with higher fiber digestibility (HFDCS) was 44.9% of total neutral detergent fiber (NDF). Two diets (1 with LFDCS and 1 with HFDCS) were formulated and analyzed using the in vitro assay to predict the TTNDFD and rumen potentially digestible NDF (pdNDF) digestion rate. Similar diets were fed to 8 ruminally cannulated, multiparous, high-producing dairy cows in 2 replicated 4×4 Latin squares with 21-d periods. A 2×2 factorial arrangement of treatments was used with main effects of intake (restricted to approximately 90% of ad libitum intake vs. ad libitum) and corn silage of different fiber digestibility. Treatments were restricted and ad libitum LFDCS as well as restricted and ad libitum HFDCS. The input and output values predicted from the in vitro model were compared with in vivo measurements. The pdNDF intake predicted by the in vitro model was similar to pdNDF intake observed in vivo. Also, the pdNDF digestion rate predicted in vitro was similar to what was observed in vivo. The in vitro method predicted TTNDFD of 50.2% for HFDCS and 42.9% for LFDCS as a percentage of total NDF in the diets, whereas the in vivo measurements of TTNDFD averaged 50.3 and 48.6% of total NDF for the HFDCS and LFDCS diets, respectively. The in vitro TTNDFD assay predicted total-tract NDF digestibility of HFDCS diets similar to the digestibility observed in vivo, but for LFDCS diets the assay underestimated the digestibility compared with in vivo. When the in vitro and in vivo measurements were compared without intake effect (ad libitum and restricted) considering only diet effect of silage fiber digestibility (HFDCS and LFDCS), no differences were observed between methods. These values suggest that our in vitro TTNDFD model could be used to predicted rate of fiber digestion and NDF digestibility for dairy cattle.
Immunoblots, antimicrobial resistance, and bacteriophage typing of oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

An immunoblotting system was developed for typing of oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Clinical isolates recovered during a 40-month period at a single institution were evaluated with this typing scheme. Results were compared with susceptibility patterns and with bacteriophage typing results for 100 clinical isolates and with plasmid fingerprints for 14 isolates. Immunoblotting was found to be a useful method with good reproducibility that distinguished seven major groups of patient isolates that were clinically and epidemiologically related. Susceptibility patterns showed specific correlations with other typing results but were inferior to immunoblotting and phage typing for differentiating major groups of organisms. Plasmid profiles failed to distinguish two major groups that were readily identified by immunoblots and phage typing. There was evidence of increasing antimicrobial resistance of endemic hospital strains. Immunoblotting correlated well with phage typing, offered an alternative method for typing isolates that could not be typed by phage typing, and was superior to susceptibility testing and plasmid profiles for distinguishing different groups of oxacillin-resistant S. aureus at our institution. Images
Television games preschool children play: Patterns, themes and uses

Preschool children were observed as they played in a day care center. Television was found to be an important source of content for play. The television facilitated games played by the children had a variety of scenarios.
(F2+)A centers in additively colored lithium-doped KI and KBr.

(F2+)A centers can be produced in additively colored KI:Li crystals provided that the material is colored in a nitrogen-free atmosphere. The optical properties of (F2+)A centers in both additively colored KI:Li and KBr:Li are identical with those reported for electron-beam-colored materials. Formation of (F2+)A centers in additively colored KI:Li provides the basis for achieving a stable color-center laser material tunable from 2 to 4 μm.
Solving the puzzle of collective action through inter-individual differences.

Models of collective action infrequently account for differences across individuals beyond a limited set of strategies, ignoring variation in endowment (e.g. physical condition, wealth, knowledge, personality, support), individual costs of effort, or expected gains from cooperation. However, behavioural research indicates these inter-individual differences can have significant effects on the dynamics of collective action. The papers contributed to this theme issue evaluate how individual differences affect the propensity to cooperate, and how they can catalyse others’ likelihood of cooperation (e.g. via leadership). Many of the papers emphasize the relationship between individual decisions and socio-ecological context, particularly the effect of group size. All together, the papers in this theme issue provide a more complete picture of collective action, by embracing the reality of inter-individual variation and its multiple roles in the success or failure of collective action.
Use of androgen receptor signaling- targeted therapies in chemotherapy-naive metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: a call for patient-centered studies

“We currently live in an era of unprecedented choice in the treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer; however, to truly improve the quality of care our patients receive, we must improve our collective decision-making process.”
Late Mediaeval Linguistic Meta-Theory and Chomsky's Syntactic Structures

(1965). Late Mediaeval Linguistic Meta-Theory and Chomsky's Syntactic Structures. WORD: Vol. 21, No. 2, pp. 251-256.
Single-port gynecologic surgery with a novel surgical platform.

Background. Laparoendoscopic single-site surgery (LESS) allows better cosmesis and decreased pain when compared with traditional laparoscopy (TL). Instrument crowding and diminished triangulation a...
Novel "Impacts of Biomedical Innovations" Course Integrates Ethics

Biomedical technology promises to improve our health and well-being. Curiously, some promising technologies have threatened our sacrosanct right to privacy, offended our disabled citizens, and provided fodder for our tort system. A novel course, Impacts of Biomedical Innovations, challenges students to critically evaluate existing medical devices and biomedical technologies, including their benefits, and intended and unintended effects on healthcare and legal systems, public policy, and society. Later, students apply what they have learned to assess novel and emerging technologies. Furthermore, they discover ways scientists, legislators, lawyers, ethicists, industry leaders and engineers address biomedical device and technology issues. Ethical issues have been woven into class discussions and coursework. For example, students examined healthcare inequities in the African American community using a set of videotaped talks given by a civil rights lawyer, a surgeon and a biomedical engineer. The students then created discussion guides for use with these videos. In another example, students debated whether or not biomedical engineers should create devices to aid in judicial executions. This debate involved discussions of whether or not it is ethical to end the life of another human being, and if biomedical engineers should be bound by the Hippocratic oath. This course has been taught four times at the undergraduate and/or graduate level. At the graduate level, students select the last four topics. The methodology used in this class ranged from small group discussions to mock Congressional testimonies. Sample topics and methodologies used in this course will be presented in this talk.
College English Teaching of Foreign Teachers: From Learners' Perspective

Based on learners' perspective, this study administered a questionnaire of 479 non-English majors to explore the partic-ipants' feedback on college English teaching of foreign teachers. The results showed that a foreign teacher may be advantageous inpersonality, English expression and teaching modes, but disadvantageous in understanding his or her students, clarifying teachingobjectives and designing systematic teaching activities. It is suggested that college English teaching of foreign teachers be im-proved in Chinese culture literacy, language skill priority and teaching material selection.
Antinomies of the Indian State

The BRIC economies, that refer to Brazil, Russia, India and China, symbolize the apparent shift in global economic power away from the USA and Western Europe. India is one of the prominent members of the BRIC economies. India’s annual growth rates of net national income at constant market price during the eighth ((1992–1997), ninth (1997–2002), tenth (2002–2007) and eleventh (2007–2012) Five-Year Plans have been as high as 6.5%, 5.4%, 7.6% and 7.5% respectively. In 2014–2015, the advance estimates of the annual growth rate of net national income at constant price were reported at 7.4%. In other words, India’s economy has grown at a relatively high rate since the initiation of the free market or New Economic Policy in 1991. The benefits of India’s new economic policy and foreign investment friendly climate, however, have been slow or negligible for the large majority of the poor. Only five countries outside Africa (Afghanistan, Bhutan, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea and Yemen) have lower “youth female literacy rates” than India, only four countries (Afghanistan, Cambodia, Haiti, Myanmar and Pakistan) do worse than India in terms of child mortality rates and none has a higher proportion of underweight children (World Development Indicators 2011). Hence, the question arises, how does the new economic policy gain acceptance in a democratic India? And how does a democratic state gain legitimacy in the face of such uneven development?
Tsar and boyars: structures and values

The deadly rivalry among the boyars after the death of Tsar Aleksei in 1676 can only be understood in the context of the value system and political structure of the court and the court elite in the last years of the life of Peter's father. At the time of Peter the Great's birth, 30 May 1672, the feast of St. Isaac of Dalmatia, the scene of Russian political life was the court of his father, Tsar Aleksei Mikhailovich. The setting for the tsar's court in those years, as it had been for centuries, was the Kremlin in Moscow, primarily the tsar's palace in the southwest corner. Most of that space today is taken up by the Grand Palace of the time of Tsar Nicholas I, but some fragments of the old palace of the tsars remain, immediately adjacent to K. A. Ton's classical pile. The original palace was roughly in the shape of the letter “U,” with the lower part of the “U,” facing east toward the small square formed by the bell tower of Ivan the Great and the two cathedrals, the Dormition and Archangel Michael. This lower part included most of the public rooms, the audience chambers where the tsar received ambassadors and where the Duma met. In the sixteenth century the two arms of the “U,” running roughly west toward the wall were the private rooms of the ruling family, and behind them were the offices of the palace administration, the stables, the workshops, and the storehouses.
A Computer Program for Short-Circuited Waveguide Dielectric-Properties Measurements on High-or Low-Loss Materials*

AbstractA general computer program is described for precisely calculating dielectric properties of high-or low-loss materials from short-circuited coaxial, cylindrical, or rectangular waveguide measurements on samples in contact with the short- circuit termination. Slotted-section measurements are corrected for the influence of the slot on the propagation constant of the waveguide. Corrections are included for wall losses in the waveguide, and differences between measurements in vacuum and in air are also taken into account. Three sets of possible values for the relative dielectric constant and loss factor, loss tangent, and conductivity are printed out corresponding to three solutions of the complex transcendental equation. Data for up to fifty samples are stored, and a summary table includes the set of dielectric properties coresponding most closely to the estimated dielectric constant for each sample.
Thermally activated energy dissipation in semi-crystalline polymer nanocomposites

Abstract In this manuscript, we demonstrate the concept of active damping in semi-crystalline thermoplastics which are reinforced with a percolated network of CNTs, where the damping of the composite was augmented considerably, controllably and reversibly via Joule heating. The Joule heating triggered relaxation mechanisms in the amorphous phase of the matrix. To this end, semi-crystalline poly ether ether ketone (PEEK) polymer and PEEK/carbon nanotube (CNT) composites were fabricated and their viscoelastic properties were studied. The damping performance was experimentally tested by dynamic mechanical analysis. The polymer relaxation resulting from an increase in temperature, triggered by the Joule heating of the nanoparticles, demonstrated the potential for damping enhancement in the composite. A considerable enhancement in damping (by as much as 400%) was achieved at a significantly lower relative loss in storage modulus (40%), both caused by relaxation mechanisms in Joule heated samples. This enhancement in damping corresponds to a 150% improvement in the figure of merit for damping materials. The non-uniform temperature distribution in the sample was measured experimentally at the macroscale and estimated via continuum models at the microscale. It was concluded that non-uniform temperature distribution in the composite, especially at the microscale, had a large effect on the overall damping enhancement. Based on the microscale models, potential mechanisms by which the active damping can be enhanced were discussed.
JOINTTRACK AUTO: AN OPEN-SOURCE PROGRAMME FOR AUTOMATIC MEASUREMENT OF 3D IMPLANT KINEMATICS FROM SINGLE- OR BI-PLANE RADIOGRAPHIC IMAGES

Model-image registration types of measurements have profoundly changed capabilities for studying dynamic 3D joint and implant kinematics since their introduction in the early 19909s. Since that time, a variety of proprietary and open-source software packages have been developed and reported for performing these measurements. Model-image registration based measurements have been used to quantify motions in natural and replaced knees, hips, ankles, shoulders, elbows, and spines in both single- and stereo-projection radiographic measurement setups. In theory, with the same quality images and the same quality bone/implant models, any of the software developed to perform model-image registration has the potential to provide equivalent measurement accuracy. Hence, much of the effort to improve measurement capabilities has been to reduce human interaction requirements and make the measurements more automatic and objective. In this paper, we report a new open-source software program that requires a minimum of user input to automate the 3D kinematic measurement process from single- or bi-plane radiographic projections. JointTrack Auto (JTA) is an open source (sourforge.net/projects/jointtrackauto) program for performing model-image registration of metallic implants with single- or bi-plane radiographic images (see image). A predominantly edge-based cost function is used with an adaptive partioning global optimization scheme for model-image registration. Although this method works without any human intervention, JTA allows users to roughly identify one ‘feature’ of each implant that is visible in all images, e.g. the tip of a peg, to very significantly reduce the search space and time required for numerical optimization. This makes for a very convenient and fast initialization process where a human user simply mouse-clicks on a few easily identifiable locations in each radiographic image, and then the automated registration process is begun. Registration accuracy examples and a software demonstration will be included in this e-poster presentation to introduce attendees to the software and spur discussion about the various methods available to perform these important measurements.
Successful Service Learning: A Matter of Ideology

Service learning is a form of experiential education in which students learn and develop their skills and understanding through active participation in thoughtfully organized service that is conducted in and meets the needs of communities (National and Community Service Trust Act, 1993). It is based on the pedagogical principle that "learning and development do not necessarily occur as a result of experience itself but as a result of a reflective component explicitly designed to foster learning and development" Oacoby, 1996, 6). Interest in service learning is growing among public service educators. This is not surprising.The goals of service learning are often congruent with the missions of Master of Public Administration programs and the learning objectives in courses on civic engagement or political activism. The benefits of service learning pedagogy do not occur just when a community-based project is added to a syllabus, however. Successful service learning projects are designed with clear learning objectives in mind; without these objectives, the pedagogy can be a time-consuming and ineffective instructional tool. In this article, a review of service learning literature, analysis of findings from two local surveysone used with students and another with the executive directors of community nonprofitsand our experiences in the classroom are used to provide information that educators can use to design more successful service learning projects. Specifically, we offer a framework that identifies four common perspectives for using service learning pedagogy, and each perspective is linked to a particular set of learning outcomes.This framework can help instructors visualize potential learning outcomes, a prerequisite for crafting well-designed projects and evaluation tools. In addition, we discuss the pitfalls we have encountered in using service learning pedagogy so that others may learn from our misJ-PAE 10 (2004)3:199-208
Abstract TMP103: New Blood Velocity Indices Can Improve the Accuracy of Transcranial Doppler to Detect Vasospasm After Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Background and Objectives: Early diagnosis of vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) can prompt aggressive treatment and improve neurological outcomes. Transcranial Doppler (TCD) is the only...
Reliability of self-reported constitutional questionnaires in Ayurveda diagnosis.

Abstract Background Ayurveda is one of the most ancient and widely practiced forms of medicine today, along with Traditional Chinese Medicine. It consists of determining an individual's constitution or Prakriti and current imbalance(s) through the use of multimodal approaches. Ayurveda practitioners may choose to include either a self-reported or structured interview constitutional questionnaire as part of the Prakriti assessment. Currently, there is no standardized or validated self-reported constitutional questionnaire tool employed by Ayurveda physicians or western Ayurveda educational institutions. Objectives To examine test-retest reliability of three self-administered constitutional questionnaires at a one month interval and internal consistency of items pertaining to a single constitution. Materials and methods Three constitutional questionnaires were administered online. 19 participants completed three questionnaires at two time points, one month apart. Age range was 21–62 years old with a mean age of 34. Of the 19, 5 were male and 14 female. Vata, Pitta, and Kapha scores obtained from each questionnaire were standardized to give a vector of three relative percentages, summing to 100. These percentages were further translated from numerical values to one of ten possible dosha diagnoses. Results Analysis indicated that the three questionnaires had moderately good test-retest reliability according to numerical scores, but highly variable reliability according to discrete Ayurveda diagnosis. Internal consistency pertaining to individual constitutions within one questionnaire was poor for all three primary doshas , but especially for Kapha . Conclusion Further research is necessary to develop a reliable and standardized constitutional questionnaire.
Behavioral, Metabolic, and Enzymatic Studies of a Brain Indoleethylamine N-Methylating System

Although there have been many good reasons to look for a brain indoleamine N-methylating enzyme since the introduction of the Harley-Mason amine methylation hypothesis of schizophrenia (Osmond and Smythies 1952) and Axelrod’s exciting and systematic elucidation of various amine-methylating enzymes in the central nervous system (Axelrod 1965), our own particular interests in this field started in 1964 when we were studying the effect of the intravenous infusion of various amine precursors on sleep patterns in man. We reported a 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP)-induced increase in rapid eye movement sleep (Mandell, Mandell, and Jacobson 1965). At the same time we noted that occasionally there was a disruption of sleep during 5-HTP infusions, with episodes of bizarre mentation. Whereas 5-hydroxytryptophan alone in small doses (150 mg i.v. over 6 to 8 hours) would usually produce some degree of sedation in our subjects, higher doses (200 mg or more), or smaller doses given in combination with a monoamine oxidase inhibitor as a pretreatment before intravenous amino acid load produced behavioral and psychic activation. We then became aware of the wide variety of studies by a number of investigators (Kety 1961; Pollin, Cardon, and Kety 1961; Kline, Simpson, and Sacks 1967; Himwich et al. 1970) that demonstrated similar reversals of the indoleamino acid-produced sedation with monoamine oxidase inhibitor pretreatment.
Alcohol, Inflammation, and Depression: The Gut-Brain Axis

Abstract For over 25 years, researchers have been investigating the relationship between alcohol use and depression. Depression is characterized by melancholic symptoms, anxiety, and fatigue. Although alcohol is widely known as a depressant, many depressed patients still turn to alcohol as a type of self-medication in hopes of alleviating depressed feelings. Nearly 41% of patients with a lifelong major depressive disorder also have an alcohol use disorder. When consumed, alcohol promotes both neuro- and intestinal inflammation. Specifically, intestinal inflammation leads to bacteria or bacterial endotoxins such as LPS to enter the circulation and thus exacerbate alcohol-induced neuroinflammation. Increases in systemic inflammation directly correlate with increases in depressive symptoms. Therefore, the gut-brain axis is pivotal to the feed-forward mechanism discussed in this chapter of alcohol-induced inflammation perpetuating depression.
Injury Severity of Truck Drivers in Crashes at Highway-Rail Grade Crossings in the United States:

The physical and operational characteristics of large trucks distinguish them from other types of vehicles in terms of facility design needs and safety requirements. A critical node in the surface ...
Enzyme catalysis and engineering.

Lignocellulosic biomass is a valuable and plentiful feedstock commodity and its high cellulose and hemicellulose content (about 80% of total) provides considerable potential for inexpensive sugars production. However, enzymatic deconstruction of these polysaccharides remains a costly prospect. Strides in cellulase cost reduction have been made, yet further improvements are needed to reach the goal of $0.10/gal of EtOH expected to enable this new industry. Strategies to reach this goal will combine reduction in the cost to produce the needed enzymes as well as efforts to increase enzyme efficiency (specific activity). As this work proceeds, the more easily attained achievements will be made first, and thus the overall difficulty increases with time.
Additive manufacturing (AM)

Abstract Additive manufacturing (AM or three-dimensional (3D) printing) is a relatively new method that enables fabrication of metallic and nonmetallic parts directly from the CAD (computer-aided design) file. In general, in this method, the CAD file is sliced vertically into thin layers and each layer is fabricated on top of the previous layer until the final part is fabricated. Thanks to the freedom in the design of CAD files and therefore the freedom in the fabrication of almost any geometry, AM has become a unique solution especially for the fabrication of patient-specific implants as well as biomedical devices with complex or customized geometries. In this chapter, after an introduction to AM and different techniques, advantages, limitations, and challenges of the AM are discussed. Biomedical applications of AM, market analysis, biological considerations, and biocompatibility of AM parts are covered in the following sections. Eventually, as a case study, patient-specific bone plates for mandibular reconstruction surgery are introduced.
Bacterial communities differ between plant species and soil type, and differentially influence seedling establishment on serpentine soils

Root-associated microbial communities influence plant phenotype, growth and local abundance, yet the factors that structure these microbial communities are still poorly understood. California landscapes contain serpentine soils, which are nutrient-poor and high in heavy metals, and distinct from neighboring soils making them ideal for studying the factors that structure root microbiomes and their functions. Here, we surveyed the rhizoplane of serpentine-indifferent plants, which grow on and off serpentine soil, to determine the relative influence of plant identity and soil chemistry on rhizoplane microbial community structure using 16S rRNA metabarcoding. Additionally, we experimentally examined if serpentine vs. non-serpentine microorganisms differentially affected plant growth in serpentine soil. Rhizoplane bacterial communities differed among plant species, soil types, and the interaction between them in both the field and experimental soils. In the experiment, soil microbial community source influenced seedling survival, but plant growth phenotypes were largely invariant to microbial community with a few exceptions. Rhizosplane bacterial species composition differed between plant species and soil types, and Amplicon Sequence Variants (ASVs) from the phyla Acidobacteria and Proteobacteria (Genus: Microvirga) were characteristic of serpentine soils. While soil microbial community composition influenced seedling survival in the current study, further study is required to disentangle the role of microbial associations and plant tolerance to serpentine.
A field-plated Ga2O3 MOSFET with near 2-kV breakdown voltage and 520 mΩ · cm2 on-resistance

A composite field-plated Ga2O3 MOSFET with highly doped ohmic-capping layer is fabricated. An output current of 20 mA mm−1 and on-resistance of 520 mΩ cm2 shows big improvement upon the previous experiment on similar field plated devices. The breakdown voltage is measured to be 1975 V on an L gd = 25 μm device. At elevated temperatures, the breakdown voltage decreases to <1 kV at 130 °C, while the on-resistance and saturation current are almost unchanged. The breakdown may be limited by the dielectric liquid strength. The on-resistance is limited by high interface state density that is attributed to the thermal process during the field oxide deposition.
A Top Down Approach for Eliciting Systems Security Requirements for a Notional Autonomous Space System

Today’s highly interconnected and technology reliant environment places great emphasis on the need for secure cyber-physical systems. This work addresses this need by detailing a top down systems security requirements analysis approach for understanding and eliciting security requirements for a notional space system. More specifically, the System-Theoretic Process Analysis approach for Security (STPA-Sec) is used to understand and elicit systems security requirements during the conceptual stage of development. This work employs STPA-Sec in a notional space system to detail the development of functional-level security requirements, design-level engineering considerations, and architectural-level security specifications early in the system life cycle when the solution trade-space is largest rather than merely examining components and adding protections during system operation, maintenance, or sustainment. Lastly, this approach employs a holistic viewpoint which aligns with the systems and software engineering processes as detailed in ISO/IEC/IEEE 152SS and NIST SP SOO-160 Volume 1. This work seeks to advance the science of systems security by providing insight into a viable systems security requirements analysis approach which results in traceable security, safety, and resiliency requirements that can be designed-for, built-to, and verified with confidence.
The ‘Truth’ About Pakistan: Knowledge Production and Circulation in Area Studies

This chapter begins by exploring the development of the Area Studies enterprise beginning in the Cold War. The chapter argues that during the Cold War, Pakistan caught the attention of western policy-makers for primarily security reasons and continues to do so, for this reason most of the scholarship on Pakistan is largely focused on Pakistan’s security and Pakistan’s relationship with ‘international’ security. The chapter further explores Area Studies centers for their potential in producing knowledge on Pakistan. The data on Area Studies centers unveils two distinct patterns. First, it has unveiled the endemic lack of interest on the part of western knowledge producers in knowing Pakistan and the other states that make up the South Asian region. Secondly, while true to their proposed research ambit, South Asian area study centers across the West have intellectually explored India across the depths and breadths of various disciplines, so that the study of India has become a truly multidisciplinary enterprise, in the case of Pakistan, most of the research, however marginal, remains centered on matters of its security and international affairs. Finally the chapter analyzes the contributions on Pakistan in Area Studies journals to observe how Pakistan’s representational identity is discursively constructed.
Rupert Brooke in the first world war: by Alisa Miller, Clemson, SC, Clemson University Press, 2017, ix + 281 pp., illustrations, U.S. $120.00 (hbk), ISBN 978-1-9429-5434-7

The Rupert Brooke presented in Alisa Miller’s Rupert Brooke in the First World War resembles the figures we see in analytical cubist paintings: he is presented, not from a single vantage point, but...
Use of Photoemission with Synchrotron Radiation to Probe Surfaces on an Atomic Scale

The capabilities of synchrotron radiation are briefly reviewed with an emphasis on applications to photoemission spectroscopy. The physics of photoemission is also briefly reviewed with emphasis on the importance of the escape length of the photo-executed electron in determining the depth of material examined. Most of the text is utilized to demonstrate these techniques in the GaAs (110) — oxygen system and CuNi alloy — surface segregation studies. The relative importance of thermodynamic equilibrium and activation energies are discussed.
Optimization of the Light Trapping Nano Structures in CdTe Thin Film Solar Cells

The optical absorption and the short circuit current of CdTe thin film solar cells have been improved by incorporating arrays of nanostructures in the gold back contact/reflector layer. In this study, three different nano pillar heights, 100, 200 nm, and 300 nm with two periodicities, were investigated. ANSYS HFSS wave optics simulation software was utilized. An increase of 10% in short circuit current density is achieved comparing to the planar cell of an equivalent thickness. Further enhanced performance of CdTe solar cells is expected by incorporating such optimized nanostructure arrays of different sizes and shapes.
Sexuality as an Apologetic

Sexuality is one of the most intimate aspects of our being – but as Christians we rarely discuss it, or its importance, or its biblical basis. This article suggests that living and communicating a genuinely biblical view of sexuality is in fact a most powerful apologetic today.
Systemic aneuploidization events drive phenotype switching in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

How cells leverage their phenotypic potential to adapt and survive in a changing environment is a complex biological problem, with important implications for pathogenesis and species evolution. One particularly fascinating adaptive approach is the bet hedging strategy known as phenotype switching, which introduces phenotypic variation into a population through stochastic processes. Phenotype switching has long been observed in species across the tree of life, yet the mechanistic causes of switching in these organisms have remained difficult to define. Here we describe the causative basis of colony morphology phenotype switching which occurs among cells of the pathogenic isolate of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, YJM311. From clonal populations of YJM311 cells grown in identical conditions, we identified colonies which displayed altered colony architectures, yet could revert to the wild-type morphology after passaging. Whole genome sequence analysis revealed that these variant clones had all acquired whole chromosome copy number alterations (i.e., aneuploidies). Cumulatively, the variant clones we characterized harbored an exceptional spectrum of karyotypic alterations, with individual variants carrying between 1 and 16 aneuploidies. Most variants harbored unique collections of aneuploidies, indicating that numerous distinct karyotypes could manifest in the same morphological variation. Intriguingly, the genomic stability of these newly aneuploid variant clones modulated how often cells reverted back to the wild-type phenotypic state. We found that such revertant switches were also driven by chromosome missegregation events, and in some cases occurred through a return to euploidy. Together, our results demonstrate that colony morphology switching in this yeast strain is driven by stochastic and systemic aneuploidization events. These findings add an important new perspective to our current understanding of phenotype switching and bet hedging strategies, as well as how environmental pressures perpetuate organismal adaption and genome evolution.
Structural insights into the enhanced thermostability of cysteine substitution mutants of L-histidine decarboxylase from Photobacterium phosphoreum.

Enzymatic amino acid assays are important in physiological research and clinical diagnostics because abnormal amino acid concentrations in biofluids are associated with various diseases. L-histidine decarboxylase from Photobacterium phosphoreum (PpHDC) is a pyridoxal 5'-phosphate-dependent enzyme and a candidate for use in an L-histidine quantitation assay. Previous cysteine substitution experiments demonstrated that the PpHDC C57S mutant displayed improved long-term storage stability and thermostability when compared with those of the wild-type enzyme. In this study, combinational mutation experiments of single cysteine substitution mutants of PpHDC were performed, revealing that the PpHDC C57S/C101V/C282V mutant possessed the highest thermostability. The stabilizing mechanism of these mutations were elucidated by solving the structures of PpHDC C57S and C57S/C101V/C282V mutants by X-ray crystallography. In the crystal structures, two symmetry-related PpHDC molecules form a domain-swapped homodimer. The side chain of S57 is solvent exposed in the structure, indicating that the C57S mutation eliminates chemical oxidation or disulfide bond formation with a free thiol group, thereby providing greater stability. Residues 101 and 282 form hydrophobic interactions with neighboring hydrophobic residues. Mutations C101V and C282V enhanced thermostability of PpHDC by filling a cavity present in the hydrophobic core (C101V) and increasing hydrophobic interactions.
Physiologically-Based Pharmacokinetic Modeling of Oxcarbazepine and Levetiracetam During Adjunctive Antiepileptic Therapy in Children and Adolescents

Oxcarbazepine (OXZ) and levetiracetam (LEV) are two new generation antiepileptic drugs, often co-administered in children with enzyme-inducing antiepileptic drugs (EIAEDs). The antiepileptic effect of OXZ and LEV are linked to the exposure of OXZ's active metabolite 10-monohydroxy derivative (MHD) and (the parent) LEV, respectively. However, little is known about the confounding effect of age and EIAEDs on the pharmacokinetics (PKs) of MHD and LEV. To address this knowledge gap, physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling was performed in the PK-Sim® software using literature data from children ≥2 years of age. Age-related changes in clearance (CL) of MHD and LEV were characterized, both in the presence (group 1) and absence (group 2) of concomitant EIAEDs. The drug-drug interaction effect of EIAEDs was estimated as the difference in CL estimates between groups 1 and 2. PBPK modeling suggests that bodyweight normalized CL (mL/min/kg) is higher in younger children than their older counterparts (i.e., due to an influence of age). Concomitant EIAEDs further increase MHD's CL to a fixed extent of 25% at any age, but EIAEDs' effect on LEV's CL increases with age from 20% (at two years) to 30% (at adolescence). Simulations with the maximum recommended doses (MRDs) revealed that children between 2-4 years and > 4 years, which are not on EIAEDs, are at risk of exceeding the reference exposure range for OXZ and LEV, respectively. This analysis demonstrates the use of PBPK modeling in understanding the confounding effect of age and comedications on PKs in children and adolescents.
Methods for Determining Spontaneous Mutation Rates

Spontaneous mutations arise as a result of cellular processes that act upon or damage DNA. Accurate determination of spontaneous mutation rates can contribute to our understanding of these processes and the enzymatic pathways that deal with them. The methods that are used to calculate mutation rates are based on the model for the expansion of mutant clones originally described by Luria and Delbruck (1943) and extended by Lea and Coulson (1949). The accurate determination of mutation rates depends on understanding the strengths and limitations of these methods and how to optimize a fluctuation assay for a given method. This chapter describes the proper design of a fluctuation assay, several of the methods used to calculate mutation rates, and ways to evaluate the results statistically.
Testicular nondescent versus testicular agenesis: Importance of diagnosis and correct surgical management

Abstract A case of an intraperitoneal testis, discovered only by a second surgical exploration, in addition to ipsilateral renal agenesis, is reported. The risk factors relative to the development of carcinoma in the inguinal and intraperitoneal testis are compared and discussed.
Integrity, the Self, and Desire-based Accounts of the Good

L'A. defend la conception internaliste du bien-etre fondee sur le desir de la personne, contre les objections qui font reference a l'argument glissant (slippery slope) de la perspective de l'observateur ideal. S'appuyant sur une theorie du moi qui distingue les aspects essentiels et les aspects peripheriques de l'identite, et examinant les notions vie bonne et vertu, l'A. etablit une relation necessaire, mais non pas identique, entre le concept psychologique d'integrite et le concept ontologique d'identite personnelle
Comparison of Pallet Cover Systems to Maintain Strawberry Fruit Quality During Transport

The efficacy of several proprietary plastic pallet cover systems to maintain strawberry (Fragaria ·ananassa) fruit quality during commercial shipment was determined. ‘Albion’ fruit were harvested from farms near Watsonville, CA. Fruit in vented plastic clamshells were palletized and forced-air cooled to 33–35 F. Different cover systems (CO2 West, PEAKfresh, PrimePro, Tectrol) were placed over the pallets. Pads that released carbon dioxide (CO2) gas were placed inside the CO2 West cover. The Tectrol cover was sealed to the pallet base, a partial vacuum was applied, and pressurized CO2 gas was injected inside. The systems other than Tectrol remained open at the base. Six separate shipments of palletized fruit were transported in refrigerated (32–39 F) truck trailers to distribution centers in either Florida or Georgia in 2.3–4.7 days. CO2 concentrations within pallets at the beginning and end of transport were highest (11% to 16%) in the sealed Tectrol system and relatively low (0.06% to 0.30%) in the open CO2 West, PEAKfresh, and PrimePro cover systems. Relative to noncovered control fruit, which lost 0.8% fresh weight during shipment, the pallet covers reduced the transport-related weight loss by 38% to 52%. The incidence of fruit decay was low (1.0% to 1.4%) after transport but increased substantially following a 2-day shelf life at 68 F. However, fruit from the Tectrol pallets exhibited significantly less decay (36%) after shelf life than the CO2 West (39%), noncovered control (41%), PrimePro (42%), and PEAKfresh (43%) pallets. Fruit sensory quality was unaffected by the different pallet cover systems. Our findings show that transporting strawberries in the sealed Tectrol pallet cover system, in which CO2 concentrations were elevated to 11% to 16%, was most effective in complementing current low temperature management practices to maintain fruit quality.
Improvements in quality of life in children after surgical therapy for sinonasal disease

OBJECTIVES: To study changes in quality of life in children with chronic sinonasal disease after surgical therapy.STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: Prospective, nonrandomized quality of life study of child...
A genetic algorithm based approach to search optimal assembly sequences for autonomous robotic assembly

A Genetic Algorithm (GA) based approach is proposed in this paper to search optimal assembly sequences in a robotic autonomous assembly task. In particular, the chromosome definition, the operations of crossover, copy and mutation and a specific fitness table are presented. Some simulation results are employed to validate the effectiveness of the proposed approach. The simulation results also indicate that the modified GA algorithm proposed in this paper has better performance than the traditional GA algorithm.
Refolded Outer Membrane Protein A of Escherichia coliForms Ion Channels with Two Conductance States in Planar Lipid Bilayers

Outer membrane protein A (OmpA), a major structural protein of the outer membrane of Escherichia coli, consists of an N-terminal 8-stranded beta-barrel transmembrane domain and a C-terminal periplasmic domain. OmpA has served as an excellent model for studying the mechanism of insertion, folding, and assembly of constitutive integral membrane proteins in vivo and in vitro. The function of OmpA is currently not well understood. Particularly, the question whether or not OmpA forms an ion channel and/or nonspecific pore for uncharged larger solutes, as some other porins do, has been controversial. We have incorporated detergent-purified OmpA into planar lipid bilayers and studied its permeability to ions by single channel conductance measurements. In 1 M KCl, OmpA formed small (50-80 pS) and large (260-320 pS) channels. These two conductance states were interconvertible, presumably corresponding to two different conformations of OmpA in the membrane. The smaller channels are associated with the N-terminal transmembrane domain, whereas both domains are required to form the larger channels. The two channel activities provide a new functional assay for the refolding in vitro of the two respective domains of OmpA. Wild-type and five single tryptophan mutants of urea-denatured OmpA are shown to refold into functional channels in lipid bilayers.