cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Ordinary Citizen and Drone Wordplay

Drones have a cool technicity about them in the literature, but are rarely seen within the confines of legal articles. This article starts with footage of the steps of a drone strike to assist in understanding the kind of violence such weaponized unmanned aerial vehicles can bring. Having seen the potent violence of one of these drone strikes, we next look at the quantity of such drone strikes by American forces in the battle space of Pakistan and across other places. Having now seen the thing, we next look at the legal architecture used to justify a drone strike. We introduce concepts of both de jure legal regimes in which the law is followed and de facto legal regimes in which the lack of accountability for deviations from the law amount to a license. The reinterpretation almost beyond recognition of de jure legal regimes is one aspect of creating a de facto legal regime of impunity. But, even beyond reinterpretation, the departure from even reinterpreted legal regimes with impunity forms a second order de facto legal regime. These two types of de facto legal regimes come to the fore whether we are in a domestic policing, intelligence or armed conflict setting due to the related lack of accountability. This lack of accountability is in domestic law and – particularly for the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council – on the international plane. The article suggests how the ordinary citizen faced with the contradiction between the de jure legal regimes and the de facto legal regimes (or the drone wordplay) may work to provide countervailing force to bring even United Nations Security Council permanent members back within the confines of the rule of law.
Assessing the role of precursor cyclones on the formation of extreme Greenland blocking episodes and their impact on summer melting across the Greenland ice sheet

A 30 year climatology of North Atlantic cyclones from 1979 to 2008 is examined within the context of extreme Greenland blocking and accelerated surface melting across the Greenland ice sheet (GrIS). A distinct class of North Atlantic cyclones, known as precursor cyclones, was identified as any extratropical cyclones originating to the west of Greenland blocks prior to the peak of blocking intensity. Composite map analysis reveals that precursor cyclones contributed to a significant intensification of extreme Greenland blocking episodes (GBEs) through the process of upper level wave amplification. Across all seasons, most extreme GBEs are associated with multiple precursor cyclones prior to peaking in intensity, and a majority of these cyclones have continental rather than oceanic origins. Over both the western and eastern sectors of Greenland, daily meltwater production simulated by the Modele Atmospherique Regional regional climate model is greater during extreme GBEs accompanied by precursor cyclones compared to extreme GBEs lacking a precursor cyclone. Based on an analysis of air parcel trajectories and North Atlantic SST anomalies, enhanced surface melting during the summer, particularly over southern and western Greenland, is strongly linked to the combination of vigorous adiabatic warming generated by subsiding air within the blocking anticyclones and warm air advection supplied by the precursor cyclones. With the increased frequency of extreme GBEs accompanied by precursor cyclones observed during a strong positive phase of the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, recent long-term increases in GrIS surface melting can be partially attributed to the interaction of these atmospheric and oceanic processes.
Cost performance as a stochastic process: EAC projection by Markov chain simulation

AbstractEarned value analysis (EVA) has been widely used in the construction industry for cost prediction at completion. The EVA’s accuracy of early cost projections is low since the method assumes static cost performance during construction. A project’s cost performance is evidenced as a stochastic process. In an effort to improve the EVA’s accuracy of early cost predictions, this work reports a modified method of Markovian simulation cost projection (MSCP). Based on Markov chain simulation, MSCP simulates the probability distribution of the cost performance indicators for each period of a project, and predicts the final cost using the summation of each simulated period cost. The MSCP method is demonstrated and validated through a case study of a real-world power plant project. Data analysis indicates that MSCP improves the prediction accuracy four times higher than EVA. Findings also suggest that MSCP is able to capture erratic changes of cost performance throughout a project’s lifecycle and thus provid...
l-Cysteine Interaction with Au55 Nanoparticle

Simulations of l-cysteine molecules attaching on Au nanoparticles provide insight on how larger biomolecules (such as proteins and peptides) can interact with Au nanoparticles. The attaching mode is still in debate and of strong impact on the fundamental research in biosensors and biomedicine. We used a density functional theory (DFT) approach to calculate the interactions between l-cysteine molecules and the quantum sized Au nanoparticle Au55. Our results support the attaching mode recognized in solid-state NMR studies, which indicate that a double layer of l-cysteine molecules is the likely configuration. A strong electronic interaction between gold and sulfur atoms establishes a strong-bonding inner layer, while a hydrogen-bond network between zwitterion-structured cysteine molecules stabilizes the existence of a second layer with thiol (−SH) groups oriented outward. Such a structure has high potential for further biofunctionalization.
Required Action Time and Control Effectiveness in Resolving Pairwise Conflicts

Due to limitations in their performance capabilities, aircraft must begin avoidance maneuvers well before specified minimum separation standards are reached. In other words, there is a time ahead of a predicted conflict at which aircraft must start to act. This paper presents the concept and a systematic procedure for determining the REquired ACtion Time, or REACT, for pairwise conflict resolutions. REACT marks the least advance time necessary for successful avoidance maneuvers and defines the minimum lookahead window for reliable trajectory predictions. In this paper, the process of conflict detection and resolution is divided into a series of segments, and typical times associated with these segments are estimated. Pairwise conflicts in different encounter geometries are considered. Aircraft flights are described with a dynamic pointmass model that uses position and velocity components as states, and excess thrust, lift, and bank angle as controls. Motion constraints due to both aircraft performance limitations and passenger comfort considerations are imposed. In resolving a potential conflict, it is assumed that one of heading change, altitude change, or speed change is used. Both cooperative and non-cooperative maneuvers are studied. Uncertainties in onboard trajectory state measurements, pilot response delays and behaviors, as well as initial aircraft speeds are represented as random variables. Monte-Carlo numerical simulations are conducted to establish trends of REACTs over different encounter angles for every single control authority. The effectiveness of different control authorities in resolving conflicts are compared.
The Emulation of Emotions in Artificial Intelligence: Another Step into Anthropomorphism

The conceptualization of emotions as unique to biological organisms and a flaw in human intelligence has been challenged in recent times. Artificial intelligence researchers defy the idea of emotions as solely biological and try to incorporate them in their agents' design. Emotions and feelings are now considered cognitive percepts that play an important role in decision making processes. Based on artificial intelligence discourses and inventions, this chapter explores how emotions are defined in the realm of artificial intelligence, what is their role in the agents' performance, and how and why they are being emulated. From improving human-machine interaction and achieving empathy, to providing machines with cognitive shortcuts for rational thinking, emotions could be a key element in building a coherent system of thought capable of organizing several kinds of knowledge. This could provide a way to finally pass the Turing test or to provide a smooth transformation of the human nature when we finally merge with the machines. The emulation of emotions is just another step in the objective of replicating the human, promoting a higher level of anthropomorphism in the field of artificial intelligence.
Synchronization mechanism and Arnold tongues for dust density waves.

The nonlinear phenomenon of synchronization is characterized experimentally for dust density waves, i.e., dust acoustic waves, which are self-excited due to an ion streaming instability. The waves propagate in a dust cloud with a natural frequency of 22 Hz. We synchronize these waves to a different frequency using a driving electrode that sinusoidally modulates the ion density. We study four synchronized states, with frequencies that are multiples of 1, 2, 3, and $1/2$ of the driving frequency. Comparing to phenomena that are typical of the van der Pol paradigm, we find that synchronization of our waves exhibit the signature of the suppression mechanism but not that of the phaselocking mechanism. Additionally, synchronization of our waves exhibits three characteristics that differ from the van der Pol paradigm: a threshold amplitude that can be seen in the Arnold tongue diagram, a branching of the 1:1 harmonic tongue at its lower extremity, and a nonharmonic state. The latter state appears to be a nonlinear oscillation; it is neither at the natural frequency nor a synchronized state.
Safety of proximal medial gastrocnemius release

Summary Background Proximal medial gastrocnemius release (PMGR) is the newest technique for addressing clinically significant gastrocnemius contracture, whose safety and efficacy has been evaluated in several modern case series. Material & Methods This anatomic study evaluated the safety of a PMGR technique modification by testing the hypothesis that the lateral border of the semimembranosus would be easily identified under surgical conditions and would localize the approach safely away from popliteal structures. Results & Conclusions The results of this study revealed that although the semimembranosus was easily referenced, it localized the approach with a much narrower margin for safety than suggested by previous literature.
CCL5 Released from Platelets Increases Megakaryocyte Maturation and Proplatelet Formation

Abstract Background: In times of physiological stress (i.e. myocardial infarction, infection, inflammation, malignancy), platelet count can transiently elevate. What initiates this reactive thrombocytosis is poorly understood. Platelets store inflammatory cytokines that are released upon activation, including abundant amounts of chemokine ligand 5 (CCL5). Aim: We hypothesize that CCL5 could self-regulate platelet production through a positive feedback mechanism targeting megakaryocytes (MKs). We aim to establish that platelet-derived CCL5 drives up-regulation of platelet production by enhancing MK maturation and proplatelet formation. Methods: Primary murine fetal liver-derived MKs were treated with CCL5, Maraviroc (CCR5 antagonist) and/or platelet releasate; their number and ploidy were quantified by flow cytometry and proplatelet formation quantified in ImageJ. CCL5 and its receptor CCR5 were characterized in MKs and platelets using western blot, flow cytometry and immunofluorescence. CCL5 concentration was quantified with ELISA. Results: Intriguingly, we found that adding the releasate from TRAP-activated platelets to MKs increased proplatelet production by 47%. Platelets store inflammatory cytokines that are released upon activation, including CCL5 (RANTES); after TRAP activation, platelets release over 25 ng/mL of CCL5. We hypothesized that CCL5 could regulate platelet production by binding to its receptor, CCR5, on MKs. Maraviroc, a specific CCR5 antagonist, diminished the effect of platelet releasate on proplatelet production by 95%, suggesting the CCL5 derived from platelets was sufficient to drive increased platelet production through MK CCR5. Interestingly, CCL5 was abundantly present in both MKs and platelets, but CCR5 expression was restricted to MKs. To confirm this effect was mediated by CCL5 in the releasate, we cultured MKs with recombinant human CCL5. Recombinant CCL5 increased MK proplatelet production by 50%, consistent with the results seen after addition of platelet releasate. In addition, the CCL5-treated MKs had significantly higher ploidy; 65% fewer MKs were 2N while 76% more were 16N. Pretreating the MK cultures with Maraviroc prior to exposure to CCL5 reversed the augmented proplatelet formation and ploidy, indicating that CCL5 increased MK ploidy and subsequent proplatelet formation in a CCR5-dependent manner. To determine the mechanism by which the CCL5/CCR5 interaction mediates its effects, we treated MKs with CCL5 and probed signaling pathways downstream of CCR5. Interestingly, preliminary data suggest that CCR5 activation induces Akt phosphorylation, a pathway previously shown to be important for MK ploidy and maturation. Conclusions: CCL5 increases MK ploidy and subsequent proplatelet formation in a CCR5-dependent manner. We propose that CCL5 may act in addition to TPO to increase platelet counts during times of physiological stress. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Passively harmonic mode-locked high repetition rate Tm/Ho co-doped fiber laser

Passively harmonic mode-locking in a linear Tm/Ho co-doped fiber laser is demonstrated with self-organized, temporally equally spaced solitons at repetition rates over 400 MHz with high side-mode suppression.
The Psychological Present

The present paper compares behavior-analytic and cognitive treatments of the concept of psychological history with regard to its role in current action. Both treatments take the position that the past bears some responsibility for the present, and are thereby obligated to find a means of actualizing the past in the present. Both do so by arguing that the past is brought to bear in the present via the organism. Although the arguments of the two positions differ on this issue, neither provides a complete account. An unconventional treatment of psychological history is proposed, the logic of which is exemplified in anthropological, biological, and psychological perspectives. The unconventional treatment in psychological perspective holds that (a) the organism's interaction with its environment, not the organism itself, changes with experience; and (b) the past interactions of an organism exist as, and only as, the present interactions of that organism. This solution to the problem of psychological history provides obligations and opportunities for analysis that are not available when the more conventional positions of cognitivism and behavior analysis are adopted.
Mittelhochdeutsch spruch : eine Vortragsart

Nicht die oft erorterten strophischen Spruchgedichte, sondern zum musikalischen Rezitieren bestimmte, meist ohne Melodie uberlieferte Reimpaartexte sind im Mittelalter spruch genannt worden. Mit der entsprechenden Bedeutung lassen sich auch sprechen und Sprecher nachweisen.
X-band dual-polarized radar quantitative precipitation estimate analyses in the Midwestern United States

Abstract. Over the past decade, polarized weather radars have been at the forefront of the search for a replacement of estimating precipitation over the spatially, and temporally inferior tipping buckets. However, many radar-coverage gaps exist within the Continental US (CONUS), proposing a dilemma in that radar rainfall estimate quality degrades with range. One possible solution is that of X-band weather radars. However, the literature as to their long-term performance is lacking. Therefore, the overarching objective of the current study was to analyze two year’s worth of radar data from the X-band dualpolarimetric MZZU radar in central Missouri at four separate ranges from the radar, utilizing tippingbuckets as ground-truth precipitation data. The conventional R(Z)-Convective equation, in addition to several other polarized algorithms, consisting of some combinations of reflectivity (Z), differential reflectivity (ZDR), and the specific differential phase shift (KDP) were used to estimate rainfall. Results indicated that the performance of the algorithms containing ZDR were superior in terms of the normalized standard error (NSE), missed and false precipitation amounts, and the overall precipitation errors. Furthermore, the R(Z,ZDR) and R(ZDR,KDP) algorithms were the only ones which reported NSE values below 100 %, whereas R(Z) and R(KDP) equations resulted in false precipitation amounts equal to or greater than 65 % of the total gauge recorded rainfall amounts. The results show promise in the utilization of the smaller, more cost-effective X-band radars in terms of quantitative precipitation estimation at ranges from 30 to 80 km from the radar.
Mutational studies of the Aux/IAA proteins in Physcomitrella reveal novel insights into their function

The plant hormone auxin regulates many aspects of plant growth and development. Auxin signaling involves hormone perception by the TRANSPORT INHIBITOR RESPONSE/AUXIN F-BOX (TIR1/AFB)-Aux/IAA co-receptor system, and the subsequent degradation of the Aux/IAA transcriptional repressors by the ubiquitin proteasome pathway. This leads to the activation of downstream gene expression and diverse physiological responses. Here, we investigate how the structural elements in the Aux/IAAs determine their function in Auxin perception and transcriptional repression. We took advantage of the facile genetics of the moss Physcomitrella patens to determine the activity of wild-type and mutant PpIAA1a proteins in a Δaux/iaa null background. In this way, Aux/IAA function was characterized at the molecular and physiological levels without the interference of genetic redundancy. We identified and characterized degron variants in Aux/IAAs that affect their stability and Auxin response. We also demonstrated that neither the Aux/IAA EAR motif nor Aux/IAA oligomerization is essential for the repressive function of Aux/IAA. Our study demonstrates how key elements within the Aux/IAA proteins fine tune stability and repressor activity, as well as the long-term developmental outcome.
Relationship between Hotspots and Mantle Structure: Correlation with Whole Mantle Seismic Tomography

We examine the relation between the locations of hotspots on the surface of the Earth and mantle structure as determined from seismic tomography. In particular, we correlated hotspot locations with Tanimoto’s (1989) shear wave velocity structure throughout the mantle. A spherical harmonic representation of both fields enables us to perform a “degree by degree” correlation, and to test possible relationships between features of the same scale. A statistical significance analysis is applied to these results. A similar analysis was performed by Richards et al. (1988) in studying hotspot — geoid relations.
A microbial desalination process with microalgae biocathode using sodium bicarbonate as an inorganic carbon source

Abstract This research investigates a novel platform for an energy-yielding wastewater treatment and desalination scheme in which the organic matter present in wastewater is purposely fed to the exoelectrogenic bacteria to produce bioelectricity in a three-compartment bioelectrochemical system called photosynthetic microbial desalination cell (PMDC). The role of an inorganic carbon source in the microalgae biocathode was studied. Addition of sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) increased power production, microalgae growth and desalination rate. A power density of 660 mW/m3 was measured which is about 7.5 times higher than the PMDCs without NaHCO3. Desalination rate was more than 40% after 72 h. Overall, the process could be energy-positive while producing 4.21 kWh per m3 of wastewater treated including desalination energy savings and microalgae biomass energy potential.
Total variance based feature point selection and applications

Abstract Feature points are used to capture geometric characteristics of an object and are usually associated with certain anatomical significance or geometric meaning. The selection of feature points is a fundamental problem with various applications, for example, in shape registration, cross-parameterization, sparse shape reconstruction, parametric shape design, and dimension construction. In the literature, feature points are usually selected on a single shape by their differential property or saliency, and the information of similar shapes in the population are not considered. Though carefully chosen feature points can represent the corresponding shape well, the variations among different shapes within the population are overlooked. In this paper, through statistical shape modeling, we evaluate the feature points by the amount of variance they capture of the shape population, which leads to an algorithm that sequentially selects and ranks the feature points. In this way, the selected feature points explicitly incorporate the population information of the shapes. Then, we demonstrate how the proposed feature point selection approach can be integrated in the applications of sparse shape reconstruction, construction of new dimensions and shape classification through sparse measurements. The numerical examples have validated the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed approach.
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Mortality Variation among Different Racial/Ethnic Groups in United States (P05.073)

OBJECTIVE: To study the racial/ethnic differences in ALS mortality using a nationally representative population of United States. BACKGROUND: The racial/ethnic mortality differences amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in United States. are not well studied. DESIGN/METHODS: We identified all mortalities related to ALS using the ICD-10 code G12. from Multiple Cause of Death data files from 2000 to 2009. The population census was used to derive the incidence of ALS death for each racial (whites, African Americans, and others) group. We also calculated the annual percent change (APC) in incidence rates from 2000–2009. RESULTS: A total of 57942 ALS deaths were reported by during 2000 to 2009. The Annual number of ALS deaths varied between a minimum of 5398 (2001) and a maximum of 6241 on 2008. The incidence rates of ALS death were highest among white Americans: the average incidence rate was 4.9/100.000 (minimum 4.7/100.000 on 2005, maximum 5.1/100.000 in 2003), followed by African Americans with average incidence rate of 2.2/100.000 and other ethnic groups with average incidence 2/100.000. Other ethnic groups have a higher average APC (4.15%) compared to white ((-0.01%) and African Americans (0.-14%). In all ethnic groups the death rate was higher in male compared to female. Average APC was higher in female in African Americans and in other ethnic groups. CONCLUSIONS: Although the death rate from ALS was higher in white group compared to African Americans and other ethnic groups, its APC was the lowest among the studied ethnic groups. , Further studies are required to understand the underlying reasons for this disparity. Disclosure: Dr. Chen has nothing to disclose. Dr. ATACH Investigators has nothing to disclose. Dr. Souayah has received personal compensation for activities with Walgreens and Grifols. Dr. Souayah has received research support from Talecris.
Non-hodgkin aggressive B-cell lymphoma

Advances in biology during the twentieth century have led us to a better understanding of the nature of lymphomas. We now recognize that what was called “lymphosarcoma” 100 years ago is not a sarcoma, but a complex group of malignancies of lymphoid cells that arise at various stages of cell differentiation. Our immune system includes lymphoid cells and the lymphatic network. Lymphomas thus are cancers of our immune system that arise as a result of unique genetic events that lead to various subtypes of lymphomas that can manifest with very different clinical behaviors and outcomes.
Chapter IV.4 – Engineering Small Intestine

Publisher Summary The small intestine, or small bowel, is one of the most important and complex organs in the human body. It plays a central role in the digestion and absorption of nutrients from ingested foods. The small bowel, as it propels ingested food along its length, functions as a selective barrier. An engineered small intestine could provide a novel clinical treatment for small bowel disorders, and could serve as a model system for investigating intestinal function and drug absorption. Considerable progress has been made in engineering intestine and related tissues to date, and a number of important design criteria have evolved from studies of both native and engineered intestinal tissue. The engineered tissue must be mechanically sound and capable of the two forms of transport, convective and diffusive, which are very vital to the intestine's natural role in nutrient digestion and absorption. The design may ultimately involve a variety of cellular and tissue components that contribute to various aspects of intestinal form and function in the native tissue.
A plea for argumentum ad misericordiam

L'A. defend la validite logique et morale de ce qu'il nomme en latin l'argument pour la pitie, contre la tradition des manuels rhetoriques qui, depuis Aristote et Ciceron, denoncent le recours a l'emotion, et plus particulierement a la pitie, comme un argument fallacieux et non legal au regard de l'art oratoire comme de la morale, etant donne le caractere non rationnel et non volitif de la pitie qui ne peut s'eriger en principe d'action
Concomitant administration of granulocyte transfusions and amphotericin B in neutropenic patients: absence of significant pulmonary toxicity

One hundred and ninety-five series of granulocyte transfusions in 144 patients were evaluated with respect to possible severe pulmonary toxicity from concomitant administration of granulocytes and amphotericin B. Dyspnea as a side effect of granulocyte transfusion was equally common among patients receiving amphotericin B and those in a matched control group not receiving amphotericin B. Granulocyte transfusions and amphotericin B were given simultaneously in 35 transfusion series, involving 32 patients. Respiratory deterioration, defined as the appearance of new pulmonary infiltrates on chest x-ray, occurred in 11 of these 35 episodes. Patients developing respiratory deterioration were similar to those not developing respiratory deterioration in age, diagnosis, disease status, duration of concomitant therapy, and outcome, but more often had positive fungal cultures as an indication for treatment (91% versus 58%; p = 0.1). In 8 patients, the episodes of respiratory deterioration were readily explained by congestive heart failure, by simultaneous bacteremia or fungemia, or by fungal pneumonia discovered at autopsy. One patient had a leukoagglutinin reaction (responsive to steroids) and the other 2 had unexplained, but reversible respiratory deterioration. We concluded that concomitant administration of granulocyte transfusions and amphotericin B is not associated with unexpected or rapidly fatal pulmonary toxicity and when appropriate, can be safely accomplished.
Poster abstract: A practical secret communication system by perturbing focused phases among distributed transmitters

Ensuring confidentiality of communication is fundamental to securing the operation of a wireless system, where eavesdropping is easily facilitated by the broadcast nature of the wireless medium. By applying distributed phase alignment among distributed transmitters, we show that a new approach for assuring physical layer secrecy, without requiring any knowledge about the eavesdropper or injecting any additional cover noise, is possible if the transmitters frequently perturb their phases around the proper alignment phase while transmitting messages. This approach is readily applied to amplitude-based modulation schemes, such as PAM or QAM. We present our secrecy mechanisms, prove several important secrecy properties, and develop a practical secret communication system design. We further implement and deploy a prototype that consists of 16 distributed transmitters using USRP N210s in a 20 × 20 × 3 m3 area. By sending more than 160M bits over our system to the receiver, depending on system parameter settings, we measure that the eavesdroppers failed to decode 30% — 60% of the bits cross multiple locations while the intended receiver has an estimated bit error ratio of 3 × 10−6.
Two algorithms to find primes in patterns

Let $k\ge 1$ be an integer, and let $P= (f_1(x), \ldots, f_k(x) )$ be $k$ admissible linear polynomials over the integers, or \textit{the pattern}. We present two algorithms that find all integers $x$ where $\max{ \{f_i(x) \} } \le n$ and all the $f_i(x)$ are prime. Our first algorithm takes at most $O_P(n/(\log\log n)^k)$ arithmetic operations using $O(k\sqrt{n})$ space. Our second algorithm takes slightly more time, $O_P(n/(\log \log n)^{k-1})$ arithmetic operations, but uses only $n^{1/c}$ space for a constant $c>2$. We prove correctness unconditionally, but the running time relies on two unproven but reasonable conjectures. We are unaware of any previous complexity results for this problem beyond the use of a prime sieve. We also implemented several parallel versions of our second algorithm to show it is viable in practice. In particular, we found some new Cunningham chains of length 15, and we found all quadruplet primes up to $10^{17}$.
Predictive Model for Growth of Bacillus cereus at Temperatures Applicable to Cooling of Cooked Pasta

A model was developed to predict the growth of Bacillus cereus from spores during cooling of cooked pasta. Cooked pasta was inoculated with a cocktail of four strains of heat-shocked (80 °C/10 min) B. cereus spores to obtain a final spore concentration of approximately 2 log CFU/g. Thereafter, growth was determined at isothermal temperatures starting at 10 °C and every three degrees up to 49 °C. Samples were removed periodically and plated on mannitol egg yolk polymyxin agar. The plates were incubated for 24 hr at 30 °C. Baranyi, Huang, and modified Gompertz primary growth models were used to fit growth data. The modified Ratkowsky secondary model was used to fit growth rates determined by the primary growth models with respect to temperature. All three primary models fitted the growth data well. The modified Ratkowsky secondary model adequately fit growth rates generated by the three primary models (R2 values ranging from 0.96 to 0.98). After acceptable prediction zone (APZ) validation and goodness of fit statistical analyses, it was determined that the Baranyi primary growth model was best suited for these data. For both single-rate exponential cooling and biphasic linear cooling model validation, all Baranyi model predictions (n = 24 and 28, respectively) fell within the APZ (-1.0 to 0.5 log CFU/g). The model will assist institutional food service settings to determine the safety of cooked pasta subjected to longer cooling times or stored at improper temperatures. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Predictive model can be used to estimate extent of microbial growth during cooling of cooked pasta and in designing HACCP program and setting of critical control levels. Retail food industry would need fewer challenge studies to validate the safety of their products. The model will provide regulatory agencies and food industry with an objective means of assessing the microbial risk and ensuring that the public is not at risk of acquiring food poisoning.
Further results on the distance and area control of planar formations

A method for dealing with the problem of convergence to incorrect equilibrium points of distance-based formation controllers was recently proposed by introducing an additional controlled variable, ...
Macroadapting Animalwatch to Gender and Cognitive Differnces with Respect to Hint Interactivity and Symbolism

We have built empirical models of elementary-school students' behavior from analyzing student interaction with a mathematics tutor with the objective of building teaching policies for individually different students. This model incorporates external information about the student, namely cognitive development and gender. It also incorporates hint features, namely the degree of interactivity and symbolism of each hint given. We found that boys benefit better from noninteractive and low-intrusive hints, while girls benefit better from highly interactive hints. We found that low symbolic hints are more effective for low cognitive ability students than highly symbolic ones, and the opposite happens for high cognitive ability students.
Hybrid nanocrystal-amorphous solid dispersions (HyNASDs) as alternative to ASDs for enhanced release of BCS Class II drugs.

Abstract A major shortcoming of drug nanocomposites as compared with amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs) is their limited supersaturation capability in dissolution media. Here, we prepared drug hybrid nanocrystal–amorphous solid dispersions (HyNASDs) and compare their performance to ASDs. A wet-milled griseofulvin (GF, BCS II drug) nanosuspension and a GF solution, both containing the same dissolved polymer–surfactant (SDS: sodium dodecyl sulfate) with 1:1 and 1:3 GF:polymer mass ratios, were spray-dried. Hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) and Soluplus (Sol) were used as matrix-forming polymers. XRPD, DSC, and Raman spectroscopy reveal that ASDs were formed upon spray-drying the solution-based feed, whereas nanocomposites and nanocomposites with >10% amorphous content, HyNASDs, were formed with the nanosuspension-based feed. Sol provided higher GF relative supersaturation, up to 180% and 360% for HyNASDs and ASDs, respectively, in the dissolution tests than HPC (up to 50% for both) owing to Sol’s stronger intermolecular interactions and miscibility with GF and its recrystallization inhibition. Besides the higher kinetic solubility of GF in Sol, presence of GF nanoparticles vs. micron-sized particles in the nanocomposites enabled fast supersaturation. This study demonstrates successful preparation of fast supersaturating (190% within 20 min) HyNASDs, which renders nanoparticle formulations competitive to ASDs in bioavailability enhancement of poorly soluble drugs.
Setting the stage for corporate headquarters: a technological explanation for the rise of modern industrial corporations

This paper combines theories of organizational design with theories of production to provide a novel perspective, which helps explain the technological forces that led to the rise of vertically integrated “modern” corporations in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. I describe the technology of a flow process with bottlenecks and show how this technology rewards unified governance, a hierarchical organization structure, and the use of direct authority. These properties in turn became the organizational hallmarks of “modern” industrial corporations with central corporate headquarters.
Advancements in Thermochemical Modification of Wood for Bioenergy and Biomaterial Applications

This chapter explores recent work related to thermochemical modification of low-value woody biomass to produce high-value products for use in bioenergy and biofuel applications. Through thermochemical modification (i.e., pretreatment), woody biomass can be transformed into materials that have higher calorific values and improved electrical properties. In this chapter, advancements in research related to torrefaction and carbonization (i.e., pyrolysis) are discussed, along with the development of densified torrefied pellets and carbon materials. Torrefaction of woody biomass is a less severe thermochemical treatment that results in higher-value materials that can be used in energy applications as a substitute for coal and as a filler material for composites. To advance the use of torrefied woody biomass as a coal replacement fuel, densification technology is a key for improving storage and transportation. This chapter explores some key processing variables and their relationship to pellet quality. In addition, the relative carbon content of woody biomass is increased through pyrolysis. These carbonized materials can be used for fuel cells, energy storage, and as a filler and potential reinforcement in a variety of composite materials. During pyrolysis of wood, the porosity of the resulting material increases. In general, porous carbon materials are classified as microporous ( 50 nm) based on their pore diameters. This chapter focuses on research related to mesoporous carbon that has the ability to provide fast mass transport of molecules and large specific surface areas. These two properties are essential in many advanced energy storage and conversion applications.
Mechanistic Insights into the Generation and Transduction of Hedgehog Signaling

Cell differentiation and proliferation require Hedgehog (HH) signaling and aberrant HH signaling causes birth defects or cancers. In this signaling pathway, the N-terminally palmitoylated and C-terminally cholesterylated HH ligand is secreted into the extracellular space with help of the Dispatched-1 (DISP1) and Scube2 proteins. The Patched-1 (PTCH1) protein releases its inhibition of the oncoprotein Smoothened (SMO) after binding the HH ligand, triggering downstream signaling events. In this review, we discuss the recent structural and biochemical studies on four major components of the HH pathway: the HH ligand, DISP1, PTCH1, and SMO. This research provides mechanistic insights into how HH signaling is generated and transduced from the cell surface into the intercellular space and will aid in facilitating the treatment of HH-related diseases.
Big Data, Cybersecurity, and Challenges in Healthcare

Today, Big Data analytics is used in multiple areas. We introduce the characteristics of big data, visualization tools of big data, chief prospects of utilizing big data in healthcare, advantages of Big Data analytics in healthcare, and progresses of healthcare Big Data technology in this paper. Blockchain and privacy have also gained momentum in the healthcare sector, so privacy issues and blockchain-based cybersecurity are also examined closely. Healthcare is rapidly changing, and technology will have to change with the needs expressed by providers. With the push towards personalized medicine, Big Data should see much success in healthcare, however, there are many challenges of healthcare Big Data and cybersecurity that also need to be discussed.
Geometrically nonlinear analysis of nonlocal plates using fractional calculus

Abstract This study presents the analytical formulation and the finite element solution of a geometrically nonlinear and nonlocal plate modeled via fractional-order mathematics. The finite nonlocal strains are obtained from a frame-invariant and thermodynamically consistent fractional-order continuum formulation. The fractional-order continuum model is used to capture softening nonlocal response via both Mindlin and Kirchhoff formulations. The governing equations and the corresponding boundary conditions of the geometrically nonlinear and nonlocal plates are obtained using variational principles. Further, a 2D nonlinear finite element model for the solution of this class of fractional-order systems is developed. The fractional finite element model is used to study the geometrically nonlinear response of nonlocal plates subject to various loading and boundary conditions. It is established that irrespective of the nature of boundary conditions, the fractional-order nonlocality leads to a reduction in the plate’s stiffness thereby increasing the magnitude of the transverse displacements. More specifically, the nonlocal plate model based on fractional-order strain-displacement relations is free from boundary effects that lead to mathematical ill-posedness and inaccurate predictions typical of classical strain-driven integral approaches to nonlocal elasticity under certain loading and boundary conditions. This consistency in the predictions of the fractional-order nonlocal model is a result of the well-posed nature of the fractional-order governing equations.
Posner, Richard A. Free Speech in an Economic Perspective, 20 Suffolk U. L. Rev. 1 (1986)

I first encountered Judge Richard A. Posner’s scholarship in the early 1990s when, as a doctoral student, I practically devoured his book, The Problems of Jurisprudence. 1 To me, Posner was emblema...
The Year in Review: Economics at the Antitrust Division: 2011

Last year, we had to defer discussion of two matters that we understood were of considerable interest, but were still ongoing. Those matters have, if anything, proven to be even more momentous than we anticipated. This year’s article will, consequently, focus on two of the most noteworthy antitrust challenges by the Antitrust Division in years—U.S. and Plaintiff States v. AT&T Inc., et al. and U.S. v. H&R Block, Inc., et al.—both of which were successfully challenged. The Division prevented substantial economic harm to consumers and did so with sound economic analysis.
π Berry phase and Zeeman splitting of Weyl semimetal TaP

The recent breakthrough in the discovery of Weyl fermions in monopnictide semimetals provides opportunities to explore the exotic properties of relativistic fermions in condensed matter. The chiral anomaly-induced negative magnetoresistance and π Berry phase are two fundamental transport properties associated with the topological characteristics of Weyl semimetals. Since monopnictide semimetals are multiple-band systems, resolving clear Berry phase for each Fermi pocket remains a challenge. Here we report the determination of Berry phases of multiple Fermi pockets of Weyl semimetal TaP through high field quantum transport measurements. We show our TaP single crystal has the signatures of a Weyl state, including light effective quasiparticle masses, ultrahigh carrier mobility, as well as negative longitudinal magnetoresistance. Furthermore, we have generalized the Lifshitz-Kosevich formula for multiple-band Shubnikov-de Haas (SdH) oscillations and extracted the Berry phases of π for multiple Fermi pockets in TaP through the direct fits of the modified LK formula to the SdH oscillations. In high fields, we also probed signatures of Zeeman splitting, from which the Lande g-factor is extracted.
In data science we trust: Machine learning for stable halide perovskites

The exploration of the compositional space of halide perovskites is prohibitively costly using traditional experimental research strategies. Sun and colleagues demonstrated a physics-informed, machine-learning-guided, experimental approach that overturns this limitation enabling a rapid and efficient maximization of stability in mixed-cation perovskites.
Lipid Levels in Refugees from Burma.

Cardiovascular risk is common among resettled refugees from Southeast Asia, but the association with refugee status is unclear. This study investigated the lipid levels of Burmese refugees as compared to the general population of Burma. This observational study included adult refugees from Burma undergoing domestic medical examination at a clinic in Minnesota (n = 127). The cholesterol levels of the refugee cohort were compared to a survey of Burmese residents sampled by the World Health Organization (WHO). The primary variable of interest, mean LDL, was 118.9 mg/dL in the refugee cohort. Adjusting for sex and age-group, this was 18.5 mg/dL higher than the WHO cohort (95% CI 10.0–27.1 mg/dL, p < 0.001). This study confirmed previous studies showing elevated lipid levels among Asian refugees. This work added to prior studies by including a refugee cohort that was newly-resettled and comparing it to the general population.
Luminosity: The Unconscious in the Integrated Person

In this paper,1 I propose three theses: first, located in processes midway between bodily activity and mental activity, the Unconscious mediates transformations from each sphere into the other; secondly, revealing these processes in every aspect of his behavior, the healthy person exhibits one mode of unconscious functioning, whereas the unhealthy person, whether ill of body or ill of mind, exhibits a quite different mode; finally, man’s characteristic searchings are themselves conditioned by this status of the Unconscious and, in particular, by the dialectical interplay, insofar as both modes occur within him, between the wholesome mode and the unwholesome mode. Accordingly, I stress these areas of inquiry: the locus of the Unconscious, its agential character, its modus operandi, its internal dynamics, and its presence in human comportment. My aim is to illuminate the role of the Unconscious in the actions of integrated persons; and my chief conclusion will be that the Unconscious glows, as it were, through those actions and confers upon them a special quality that I call luminosity.
Abstract 167: Exosomes Derived from Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Promote Axonal Outgrowth

Exosomes, small lipid microvesicles, transfer RNAs and proteins thereby mediating cell-cell communication. The present study investigated the effect of exosomes released from mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) on axonal outgrowth, that may play an important role in promoting brain repair after stroke. Embryonic cortical neurons were cultured in a microfluidic culture device which separates somata and axons. Exosomes (3x109 particles/ml) harvested from MSCs were applied into the somal chamber. 24h in culture, exosomes increased axonal growth (396±8 vs 297±9 μm in non-treated axon, p<0.001, n=6). To examine whether miRNAs in exosomes mediate axonal growth, neurons were treated with exosomes with attenuated-Ago2, a key protein regulates miRNA biogenesis, derived from Ago2 knockdown MSCs. These exosomes abolished the axonal growth increased by exosomes from MSCs transfected with control siRNA (298±8 μm vs 396±11 μm in control, p<0.001, n=3), suggesting that miRNAs in exosomes mediate the exosome-enhanced axonal growth. We previously showed that the miR-17-92 cluster enhances axonal growth. Thus, we treated neurons with miR-17-92 cluster elevated-exosomes from MSCs transfected with a miR-17-92 vector. Compared to non-exosome treatment, neurons treated with exosomes from MSCs transfected with a control vector considerably increased axonal growth (406±8 μm, p<0.001, n=6). Moreover, neurons treated with miR-17-92 cluster elevated-exosomes exhibited further increases in axonal growth (595±10 μm, p<0.001, n=6). RT-PCR showed substantial elevation of individual members of the miR-17-92 cluster in axons of the neurons treated with the miR-17-92 cluster elevated-exosomes, which was associated with reduction of their target protein, PTEN, in axons. Western blots also showed that reduction of axonal PTEN by the miR-17-92 cluster elevated-exosomes activated PTEN downstream proteins mTOR and GSK3β, indicating that the miR-17-92 cluster delivered by exosomes targets the PTEN/GSK3β pathway in axons. Conclusion: The present study demonstrates that miRNAs in the exosomes can be delivered into neurons to promote axonal growth, which provides a novel therapy to enhance axonal growth.