cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Control of Tie-Line Power Swings

THE object of this paper is to present the results of an analytical study of tie-line power control. This study was made as a logical development of the general subject of power system control. Previous work1,2 has indicated the general requirements of the prime-mover speed governors and the desirability of supplementary control to insure proper load division, frequency, and time. The general requirements of supplementary controls are given in the companion paper3 by Crary and McClure. In most cases these controls are satisfactorily obtained as rather slow corrective adjustments to the speed-governor mechanisms, but for certain types of load a more active tie-line load controller, which will tend to suppress transient load swings also, may be required. An example of this is a rapidly varying load, such as a strip mill supplied from local generation as well as from a tie to a larger power system, in which it may be desirable to keep the load variations off the tie line as much as possible.
Functional homology between the 30S ribosomal protein S7 from E. coli K12 and the S7 from E. coli MRE600

It is known that the 30S protein S7 from E. coli strain MRE600 is chemically different from the S7 from E. coli strain K12 (Q13). We have reconstituted 30S subunits using S7 from MRE600 and all other molecular components from K12 and compared the functional activity of the reconstituted particles with those of the particles reconstituted using the S7 from K12. Both reconstituted particles showed the same activity in several functions tested. Since the presence of S7 is essential for the reconstitution of active 30S subunits, we conclude that the S7 from strain K12 is functionally equivalent to the S7 from strain MRE600.
Circum-Caribbean Tectonic and Igneous Activity and the Evolution of the Caribbean Plate: Reply

Convergence of the North and South American blocks and northeastward movement of the East Pacific-Caribbean plate during the Late Cretaceous and early Tertiary led to the Laramide tectonic and igneous activity that has been recorded in the geology of the circum-Caribbean region. Volcanism in Central America and the initiation of major transcurrent faulting along northern South America during the late Eocene suggest that the Caribbean decoupled from the East Pacific plate near the end of the Laramide Orogeny. Lack of post-Eocene structural activity in the Greater Antilles is consistent with the initiation of eastward movement of the Caribbean plate during the Eocene. The evolution of the Cayman Trough and the history of orogenic activity in Cuba can be explained by assuming that Caribbean lithosphere was transferred to the Americas plate as the trough developed from west to east. As each new section was added to the eastward-growing trough, a new transform fault formed in the Caribbean lithosphere to connect the eastern end of the trough with the Cuban Trench. This west to east stepping of the plate boundary transferred “Caribbean” lithosphere to the Americas plate and allowed underthrusting and related tectonic activity to continue longer in eastern than in western Cuba. The presence of intermediate depth earthquakes and high seismicity along the Puerto Rico Trench suggest that the Atlantic lithosphere which underthrust Puerto Rico prior to the Oligocene is beginning to break away from the Americas plate. Fault displacements inferred along the Caribbean-Americas boundary in the Greater Antilles are equivalent to a constant post-Eocene eastward movement of 0.5 cm/yr for the Caribbean plate.
Tribological Effects on DNA Translocation in a Nanochannel Coated with a Self-Assembled Monolayer

A biomimetic nanochannel coated with a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) can be used for sensing and analyzing biomolecules. The interaction between a transported biomolecule and a SAM governs the mechanically or electrically driven motion of the molecule. To investigate the translocation dynamics of a biomolecule, we performed all-atom molecular dynamics simulations on a single-stranded DNA in a solid-state nanochannel coated with a SAM that consists of octane or octanol polymers. Simulation results demonstrate that the interaction between DNA and a hydrophobic or a hydrophilic SAM is effectively repulsive or adhesive, respectively, resulting in different translocation dynamics of DNA. Therefore, with proper designs of SAMs coated on a channel surface, it is possible to control the translocation dynamics of a biomolecule. This work also demonstrates that traditional tribology methods can be deployed to study a biological or biomimetic transport process.
CD14-dependent Lipopolysaccharide-induced β-Defensin-2 Expression in Human Tracheobronchial Epithelium

The induction of host antimicrobial molecules following binding of pathogen components to pattern recognition receptors such as CD14 and the Toll-like receptors (TLRs) is a key feature of innate immunity. The human airway epithelium is an important environmental interface, but LPS recognition pathways have not been determined. We hypothesized that LPS would trigger β−defensin (hBD2) mRNA in human tracheobronchial epithelial (hTBE) cells through a CD14-dependent mechanism, ultimately activating NF-κB. An average 3-fold increase in hBD2 mRNA occurs 24 h after LPS challenge of hTBE cells. For the first time, we demonstrate the presence of CD14 mRNA and cell surface protein in hTBE cells and show that CD14 neutralization abolishes LPS induction of hBD2 mRNA. Furthermore, we demonstrate TLR mRNA in hTBE cells and NF-κB activation following LPS. Thus, LPS induction of hBD2 in hTBE cells requires CD14, which may complex with a TLR to ultimately activate NF-κB.
Predictors of Partner Engagement in PTSD Treatment.

A telephone survey was conducted to identify predictors of treatment engagement in 83 cohabitating female partners of 83 Vietnam theater veterans with combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The survey assessed veterans for their trauma history and PTSD symptoms. Partners were assessed for caregiver burden, patient–partner involvement, PTSD treatment engagement, self-efficacy relating to PTSD, beliefs about benefits of PTSD treatment, and PTSD treatment barriers. Significant predictors of partner PTSD treatment engagement were the couple’s income, patient–partner involvement, and partner caregiver burden. These findings have implications for family interventions that may increase partner PTSD treatment engagement and improve PTSD treatment outcome.
The expression of cytokine mRNA in the cauda equina of Lewis rats with experimental allergic neuritis.

Autoreactive CD4+ T cells can transfer experimental allergic neuritis (EAN) to naive recipients. In order to further analyze the role of these T cells and their corresponding cytokines in EAN, we studied the expression of mRNA for IFN-gamma, IL-4, and IL-10 in the cauda equina of rats with EAN using a quantitative competitive reverse transcriptase PCR method. Nerves were studied on days 0 (pre-immunization), 10 (disease onset), 13 (clinical progression), 16 (disease peak), as well as 20, 24, and 34 post immunization (recovery). IFN-gamma messages increased at disease onset and peaked at day 13 p.i. IL-10 message remained at a very low level at disease onset and surged at day 16. Both messages were low in recovery stage. IL-4 message was undetectable at any time point. These data suggest a pro-inflammatory role of IFN-gamma and anti-inflammatory role of IL-10 in EAN lesions. It is also possible that a clonal switch from Th1 to Th2 occurs in EAN lesions during the disease course.
Strength of Chemical Bonds

Students are not generally made aware of the extraordinary magnitude of the strengths of chemical bonds in terms of the forces required to pull them apart. Molecular bonds are usually considered in terms of the energies required to break them, and we are not astonished at the values encountered. For example, the Cl2 bond energy, 57.00 kcal/mole, amounts to only 9.46 x 10(sup -20) cal/molecule, a very small amount of energy, indeed, and impossible to measure directly. However, the forces involved in realizing the energy when breaking the bond operate over a very small distance, only 2.94 A, and, thus, f(sub ave) approx. equals De/(r - r(sub e)) must be very large. The forces involved in dissociating the molecule are discussed in the following. In consideration of average forces, the molecule shall be assumed arbitrarily to be dissociated when the atoms are far enough separated so that the potential, relative to that of the infinitely separated atoms, is reduced by 99.5% from the potential of the molecule at the equilibrium bond length (r(sub e)) for Cl2 of 1.988 A this occurs at 4.928 A.
Hyaluronic acid: structure of the macromolecule in the connective tissue matrix.

Abstract Hyaluronic acid was extracted from the mucoid layer of rooster combs with limiting viscosity numbers as high as 13,000 ml per g. This material was shown to contain weak bonds, which were broken, irreversibly, by heating at neutral pH's at temperatures above 65°C. The activation energy of this reaction was 18Kcal per mole. Purified hyaluronic acid did not show this heat dependent irreversible degradation and protein did not seem to be a component of the structure formed by these bonds. These data suggest that the polysaccharide chains of the hyaluronic acid in the connective tissue matrix are organized into a macromolecular structure or network.
Elasto-Plastic Stresses in a Functionally Graded Rotating Disk

A numerical method based on the extension of the variable material property method was developed to obtain the elasto-plastic stress field in a functionally graded (FG) rotating disk. The method was applied to estimate the stress field in a metal–ceramic functionally graded solid disk. To establish the validity of the proposed method, results were compared with finite element results. Unlike uniform rotating disks, where yielding starts from the disk center, plasticity in FG disks can originate at any point. The effect of different metal–ceramic grading patterns as well as the relative elastic moduli and densities of the ceramic and metallic constituents on the developed stresses were studied. Reinforcement of a metal disk with ceramic particles, in both elastic and plastic regimes, can significantly influence the mechanical response of the disk such as the stress distribution and the critical angular velocities corresponding to the onset of plasticity in the disk and plastic disk. Disks with increasing ceramic content from inner to outer radius showed a more uniform von Mises stress distribution for a fixed value of total ceramic content. In contrast, disks with decreasing ceramic content from inner to outer radius had the lowest outer edge displacement for a fixed value of total ceramic content.
Ultrastructural localization of GABA-immunoreactive terminals in the anteroventral cochlear nucleus of the guinea pig.

The immunocytochemical distribution of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) was studied by electron microscopy in the anteroventral cochlear nucleus (AVCN) of the guinea pig using affinity-purified antibodies made against GABA conjugated to bovine serum albumin. Our observations confirm that spherical cells are the predominant cell type in the guinea pig AVCN and receive numerous axosomatic contacts (Schwartz and Gulley, (1978) J. Anat. 153, 489-508). Stellate cells receive few axosomatic contacts. Electron microscopic i~un~yt~he~st~ shows that GABA i~unoreacti~ty is present in synaptic terminals in the AVCN. Of the several classes of presynaptic terminals present in the AVCN as characterized by vesicle type (large round; ov~/pIeomo~~c: flat; small round) only those containing oval/pleomorpbic vesicles were GABA-i~unorea~tive. However, GABA immunoreactivity may not be present in all these terminals because some oval/pleomorphic terminals are unlabelled. Immunoreactive terminals are widespread in the AVCN; they are abundant on spherical cell bodies, rarely seen on stellate cell bodies and are also found scattered throughout the neuropile.
Standard cell power IC design

The use of analog standard cells is becoming increasingly popular for reducing design time of mixed signal integrated circuits. We describe a standard cell methodology used here in the development of a complex mixed signal analog and digital power IC. The IC incorporates four switch-mode power supplies, five high-current full-H Bridges, a computer-generated serial interface layout and a twenty-six channel, eight-bit analog to digital converter.
Learning preferences of caretakers of asthmatic children

Abstract Rationale People learn in different ways, such as visually, aurally, by reading/writing, and kinesthetically (hands-on). In our clinic, we use color-coded Asthma Action Cards to educate our patients on the pathophysiology, triggers and management of asthma. Our teaching is largely aural-based with the cards providing visual stimulation. We wanted to determine whether this form of teaching coincided with the learning preferences of the caretakers of our asthmatic children. Methods In our Asthma/Allergy clinic, caretakers of asthmatics answered the Visual-Aural-Read/Write-Kinesthetic (VARK) questionnaire anonymously. The questionnaires were evaluated based on previously validated scoring instructions and chart. IRB approval was obtained. Results Analysis of the first 25 of planned 100 (this is an ongoing survey) respondents showed that 10/25 (40%) had a single learning preference and the remaining (60%) were multimodal. Of the 10 who preferred a single mode of learning, 7 preferred kinesthetic, 2 preferred aural, and 1 preferred read/write. Of all 25 caretakers, 21/25 (84%) included kinesthetic as a learning preference, 14/25 (56%) included read/write, 13/25 (52%) included aural, and 7/25 (28%) included visual. Conclusions Of the 25 caretakers surveyed, the majority preferred the kinesthetic learning method, whether as a single learning preference or in combination with other methods. Incorporating kinesthetic methods of learning into standardized asthma education curricula may be beneficial to patients and families.
Three-dimensional orientation determination of single molecules by emission pattern characterization

Summary form only given. We have employed wide-field total internal reflection (TIR) through a high numerical aperture microscope objective to simultaneously excite many individual x, y, and z-oriented fluorescent DiIC/sub 18/ molecules. In an ideal imaging system, all fluorophores appear as identical, diffraction-limited Airy patterns. Deliberate optical departures from ideality induce slight aberrations into the optical path, recovering normally obscured 3-D orientational information through direct imaging of single molecule dipole emission patterns. Because molecules emit with a characteristic sine-squared emission pattern with respect to the transition dipole direction, observation of these fluorescent patterns is indicative of both single molecule behavior and true 3-D molecular orientation.
Hunters, Carvers, and Collectors: The Chauncey C. Nash Collection of Inuit Art

This work is a book review considering the title Hunters, Carvers and Collectors: The Chauncey C. Nash Collection of Inuit Art by Maija M. Lutz.
Co-Expression of p16INK4A and Laminin 5 γ2 by Microinvasive and Superficial Squamous Cell Carcinomas in Vivo and by Migrating Wound and Senescent Keratinocytes in Culture

The high frequency of mutation, deletion, and promoter silencing of the gene encoding p16(INK4A) (p16) in premalignant dysplasias and squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) of epidermis and oral epithelium classifies p16 as a tumor suppressor. However, the point during neoplastic progression at which this protein is expressed and presumably impedes formation of an SCC is unknown. Induction of p16 has been found to be responsible for the senescence arrest of normal human keratinocytes in culture, suggesting the possibility that excessive or spatially abnormal cell growth in vivo triggers p16 expression. We examined 73 skin and oral mucosal biopsy specimens immunohistochemically to test this hypothesis. p16 was not detectable in benign hyperplastic lesions, but instead was expressed heterogeneously in some dysplastic and carcinoma in situ lesions and consistently at areas of microinvasion and at superficial margins of advanced SCCs. p16-positive cells in these regions coexpressed the gamma2 chain of laminin 5, identified previously as a marker of invasion in some carcinomas. Normal keratinocytes undergoing senescence arrest in culture proved to coordinately express p16 and gamma2 and this was frequently associated with increased directional motility. Keratinocytes at the edges of wounds made in confluent early passage cultures also coexpressed p16 and gamma2, accompanying migration to fill the wound. These results have identified the point during neoplastic progression in stratified squamous epithelial at which the tumor suppressor p16 is expressed and suggest that normal epithelia may use the same mechanism to generate non-dividing, motile cells for wound repair.
Quantitative Diffusion Tensor Imaging Tractography Metrics are Associated with Cognitive Performance Among HIV-Infected Patients

There have been many studies examining HIV-infection-related alterations of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) diffusion metrics. However, examining scalar diffusion metrics ignores the orientation aspect of diffusion imaging, which can be captured with tractography. We examined five different tractography metrics obtained from global tractography maps (global tractography FA, average tube length, normalized number of streamtubes, normalized weighted streamtube length, and normalized total number of tubes generated) for differences between HIV positive and negative patients and the association between the metrics and clinical variables of disease severity. We also examined the relationship between these metrics and cognitive performance across a wide range of cognitive domains for the HIV positive and negative patient groups separately. The results demonstrated a significant difference between the groups for global tractography FA (t = 2.13, p = 0.04), but not for any of the other tractography metrics examined (p-value range = 0.39 to 0.95). There were also several significant associations between the tractography metrics and cognitive performance (i.e., tapping rates, switching 1 and 2, verbal interference, mazes; r ≥ 0.42) for HIV infected patients. In particular, associations were noted between tractography metrics, speed of processing, fine motor control/speed, and executive function for the HIV-infected patients. These findings suggest that tractography metrics capture clinically relevant information regarding cognitive performance among HIV infected patients and suggests the importance of subtle white matter changes in examining cognitive performance.
Effect of the Ectoparasite Necremnus breviramulus (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) and Its Venom on Natural and Factitious Hosts

Prepupae of Hypera eximia (LeConte) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), a natural host, and prepupae of factitious insect hosts were tested for their physiological responses to stinging by the gregarious ectoparasite, Necremnus breviramulus Gahan (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), and to injection with an extract of the venom gland tissue dissected from the lower reproductive tract of the female parasite. The arrestment of development produced by N. breviramulus venom was expressed in the natural host, H. eximia, and in all insects tested outside the natural host range of the parasite (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Cerambycidae, and Chrysomelidae; Lepidoptera: Plutellidae and Noctuidae). Arrestment activity was found to be associated with the aqueous extract of the venom apparatus, and the response was shown to be dose-dependent. The protein composition of the venom from N. breviramulus differed from other eulophids tested and did not contain the molt-arresting protein found in Euplectrus spp. The difference in venom proteins may account for the different physiological effects and host range of these eulophid parasites.
Amniotic fluid levels of glial acidic fibrillary protein in fetal rats with retinoic acid–induced myelomeningocele: A potential marker for spinal cord injury

1 (4) 13 (57) 0.89 0.24##,$ OIL E18 6 (100) 6 (100) 0 (0) 0.06 0.01 E20 6 (100) 6 (100) 0 (0) 0.06 0.01 E22 8 (100) 8 (100) 0 (0) 0.06 0.01 RA E18 5 (100) 5 (100) 0 (0) 0.06 0.01 E20 5 (100) 5 (100) 0 (0) 0.06 0.01 E22 7 (100) 7 (100) 0 (0) 0.06 0.01
Uveal melanoma: An analysis of cellular features and comparison to monosomy 3 status

Background Choroidal and ciliary body melanomas divide into two approximately equal groups. Local therapy cures one group while the other metastasizes and proves lethal. Monosomy 3 strongly associates with aggressive behavior. We analyzed a series of choroidal and ciliary body melanomas to describe the cellular features and to compare them to monosomy 3 status using the latter as a surrogate for survival. Methods One hundred eleven specimens met the study's inclusion criteria. Following ThinPrep processing, samples were analyzed for cellular features including: cell type, nuclear grade, tumor infiltrating lymphocytes, and the presence of necrosis and melanin. FISH analysis for monosomy 3 was performed on ThinPrep slides using a threshold of 20% monosomic cells per 200 melanoma cells. Results Seventy-two tumors (65%) had a mixed cell type while spindle cell type and epithelioid cell type occurred in 37 (33%) and 2 (1.8%), respectively. Seventy-five tumors (68%) had Grade 2 nuclear atypia. Monosomy 3 occurred in 57 tumors (51%). Significantly more tumors with Grade 3 nuclei had monosomy 3 (79% vs.43%, P = 0.002) and metastases (29% vs. 8%, P = 0.01). None of the 11 pure spindle cell tumors with Grade 1 nuclei metastasized or had monosomy 3. Conclusions Uveal melanoma has a relatively consistent cellular appearance, characterized by a mixed cell pattern and no more than moderate nuclear atypia. This consistent appearance aids in the cellular diagnosis but limits prognostication using cellular features. Cellular features significantly associate with monosomy 3 status only in the minority of tumors at the extremes of the morphologic spectrum. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Detecting and characterizing intermittency using higher-order intensity correlation functions

Intermittent dynamics introduces correlations that make the scattered field non-Gaussian, and that hence violate the Siegert relation. We show how such processes can be detected and characterized by measuring multi-time intensity correlations.
God and War: Some Exploratory Questions

Contemporary formulations of the Just War Tradition are resolutely secular: they claim that religious considerations cannot decisively satisfy any of the conditions that specify what makes for a just war – just cause, legitimate authority, right intention, proportionality, and so on. Advocates articulate a number of arguments in favor of that claim – religiously justified wars are indiscriminate or unacceptably brutal, for example. But I argue that none of the arguments adduced in favor of a secular construal of the just war tradition are compelling.
Metaphors and Myths of Cross-Cultural Literacy: Autobiographical Narratives by Maxine Hong Kingston, Richard Rodriguez, and Malcolm X

In the process of selecting episodes from memory and shaping them for telling and retelling, autobiographers make coherent their incoherent experience. At the same time, these writers reveal the shared cultural values and assumptions which allow them to shape that experience for themselves and their readers. One's experience is defined by sociocultural factors; it is further defined in the act of writing a narrative and the subsequent act of reading it (whether the reader is oneself or another). For writing is a powerful act. By writing one constructs one's reality. In examining their pasts, autobiographers re-affirm their power to determine their futures. The autobiographer's discourse re-creates the patterns and plots which her socio-cultural experience has taught her. Her discourse thus reflects and reinforces, by retelling her culture's myths and re-using her culture's metaphors, that culture's collectively created version of reality. As a contributor to this collective reality, autobiography is a cultural document, a source of information for anyone seeking a better understanding of the myths and ideology of the culture in which and from which it arises.
Elastodynamics of thin plates with internal dissipative processes Part I. Theoretical foundations

In the first part of this paper an integral representation of the dynamic behaviour of thin plates is developed where two distinct types of internal defects, namely viscoplastic flow and ductile microfracture are considered. Nucleation and propagation of such defects constitute a dissipative process. Thus, the total dynamic response of the structure is composed of the reaction due to external loading and of that due to the development of defects, which are considered as an internal excitation. In plates the unity source of this internal excitation assumes the form of a curvature singularity. The evolution equations for the internal variables describing the dissipative processes are derived from thermodynamic considerations. A numerical treatment of the problem is contained in part two.
Diagnosing and Treating Moisture-Associated Skin Damage

Certain types of moisture can cause debilitating damage to the skin. Terms such as perineal dermatitis, diaper rash, incontinence-associated dermatitis, or moisture-associated skin damage describe some of the conditions caused by moisture from wound drainage, fecal and/or urinary incontinence, and perspiration. It is important for clinicians to correctly diagnose and to locally treat the cause of skin damage, as well as promote appropriate cleaning techniques, to keep patients' skin healthy.
Endogenous Financial Networks: Efficient Modularity and Why Shareholders Prevent It

We consider systemic risk in financial networks, by examining the conflict of interest between debt- and equity-holders. Through trading, banks can diversify their idiosyncratic risks and avoid failures following small shocks. However, the resulting interdependencies can cause multiple failures after large shocks. A social planner resolves this trade-off by creating a modular network structure with fire breaks, thereby preventing failures from small shocks while containing contagion. Socially efficient networks favor debt-holders over equity holders, meaning equity-holders can profitably trade away from these networks. Moreover, profitable trades for equity holders align their counter-parties' failures with their own, creating systemic risk.
Bacterial Contamination and Impact Factors of Treated Water from Household Water Purify System in Shanghai

[Objective]To investigate bacterial contamination and related impact factors of treated water from household water purify system in Shanghai.[Methods]A total of 320 households were selected in Shanghai and tap water treated by purify system were multiple sampled for seasonal microbial contamination determination including total bacterial count,coliform,and bacterial spectrum.The information on system life span,system components,daily usage,and maintenance were also collected.Rank sum test,χ2 test,and logistic regression model were used for data analysis.[Results]Microbial contamination was common among the investigated water purifiers and varied by season.In summer,the contamination level was higher than that in autumn and winter.In the same season such as summer or autumn,the microbial contamination level of systems with reverse osmosis treatments was higher than that of the other systems;however,there was no significant difference found in winter.The results of bacterial spectrum analysis indicated pathogens or opportunistic pathogens,such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa,Staphylococcus aureus,and Bacillus cereus,in treated water samples with total bacterial counts over 20 cfu/mL.The main impact factors affecting bacterial contamination in treated water from water purify system were UV treatment unit,system life span,and filter life span and running frequency.[Conclusion]The quality of household water purify system’s design,components,and instruction manual,as well as appropriate usage and maintenance,are the key elements of water safety.Quality supervision and promotion of proper usage and maintenance should be strengthened.
Differential stimulation of Na+ pump activity by insulin and nitric oxide in rabbit aorta.

The effect of insulin on Na+ pump activity, measured as ouabain-sensitive (OS) 86Rb uptake, was studied in the rabbit aorta. In the absence of insulin, incubation of endothelium-intact rings for 3 ...
Kennedy Case Studies

In Laos,Vietnam, and the Congo, President John Fitzgerald Kennedy dealt with the legacy of President Dwight David Eisenhower and his Secretary of State John Foster Dulles. In each of these cases, previous U.S. commitments forced the new president to consider his response to “Communist aggression” early in his term. Particularly in Laos and Vietnam, Kennedy and his advisers were confronted with deteriorating situations that required immediate attention. Over time, President Kennedy considered various levels of military intervention by U.S. forces in these regions. Kennedy’s decision making during these cases is well documented, providing an excellent opportunity for evaluating the hypotheses that compose the Risk Explanation Framework (REF).
Detection of cocaine using gravure printed silver nanoparticle based SERS substrate

A surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrate was developed for the detection of cocaine. The SERS substrate was fabricated by gravure printing a metallic layer of silver nanoparticle (Ag NP) ink, with average particle size of 150 nm, on a flexible and stretchable thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) substrate. The feasibility of the printed substrate to enhance the Raman spectra of cocaine was investigated. An enhancement factor (EF) of three, in the intensity of Raman spectrum of cocaine on the printed SERS substrate, was observed when compared to target molecules absorbed on bare TPU substrate. This EF is based on the large electromagnetic fields, that are localized at hot spots, created by interaction of the Ag NPs with light. The SERS based response of the printed substrate thus demonstrated the capability of the printed SERS substrate to be used in drug detection applications.
Toward a Theory of Information Literacy: Information Science Meets Instructional Systems Design

This paper addresses the need for a comprehensive theory of information literacy by beginning to lay the groundwork for a theory that encompasses the use of information as well as its location and evaluation. First—drawing on research and theory from two fields grounded in complementary understandings of “information”—the theory posits that information literacy and learning are strongly related because information itself is the basic building block for human learning. Second, the paper discusses the importance of knowing how the characteristics of different information formats—visual, multisensory, and digital—can be used to support different kinds of learning. The paper concludes by arguing that students and others must understand these characteristics in order to be truly information literate—that is, to use information effectively to engage in deep and meaningful learning in the information-rich environment of the 21st century.
Probing the (110)-Oriented plane of rutile ZnF 2 : A DFT investigation

Abstract For many years, rutile-like crystals have given rise to pronounced enthusiasm amongst mineralogists. In this context, rutile-type ZnF 2 has found numerous applications across a variety of disciplines, ranging from material sciences to optoelectronics. Surprisingly, very limited literature is concerned with the molecular adsorption on ZnF 2 surfaces and related energetics. Additionally, surface probing with small particles is a well-entrenched technique to analyze the interfacial properties. In this regard, small organic species are valuable picks. In the present work, we have employed electronic structure calculations to simulate the adsorption of methane, chloroform, pyrrole, benzene, naphthalene, anthracene, tetracene and pentacene at the (110) plane of rutile ZnF 2 . Dispersion-corrected DFT method was chosen to predict the binding energies and structures of molecule-adsorbed surfaces. Interestingly, a linear proportionality relationship was found between the binding energies of aromatic adsorbates and their respective molecular lengths. By applying this relationship, we were able to predict the adsorption energy of pentacene on ZnF 2 to within 2% of our DFT-based result.
Software Usability: Requirements by Evaluation:

Recent research has established the importance of defining usability requirements as part of the total requirements for a system. Instead of deciding in an ad hoc manner whether or not a human-comp...
Joseph Rotblat and the Pugwash conferences for science and world affairs

Joseph Rotblat (1908–2005) trained initially as a physicist during the early 1930s and transitioned to medical physics during the late 1940s. Born in Poland, he spent about 5 years working as an electrician before taking an entrance examination in 1929 to study physics at the Free University. As a Jew living in a nation that Germany intended to invade, he moved to the University of Liverpool in April 1939. In February 1944, he relocated to the Los Alamos, New Mexico, to join the Manhattan Project and about 10 months later upon hearing that the Germans were no longer developing an atomic bomb Rotblat left the Project. He was the only scientist to leave the Manhattan Project before a bomb was detonated. He returned to Liverpool and in 1949 moved to London for a job in medical physics with the Medical College of St. Bartholomew’s Hospital. Brown states that ‘‘Rotblat masterminded the development of International Pugwash’’ (290). Indeed, Rotblat organized and contributed to the Pugwash conferences in the years leading up to the first conference of 1957 through the end of his life almost 50 years later. He shared the 1995 Nobel Peace Prize with Pugwash Conferences for Science and World Affairs which was awarded ‘‘for their efforts to diminish the part played by nuclear arms in international politics and, in the longer run, to eliminate such arms’’ (http://www.nobelprize.org). Rotblat’s efforts to secure peace consisted of three facets. He worked to eliminate nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction. He promoted social responsibility among scientists. Lastly, he relied on the public to be an effective policing body that could force transparency into public affairs (288–89). Andrew Brown’s biography of Joseph Rotblat offers a list of events that allow the reader to understand how Rotblat fits into a broader history that has been told through various social and scientific histories of nuclear weapons and through
Towards a theory of economic value for modeling and simulation: incremental cost of parallel simulation (wip)

A useful perspective on the economic value of simulation in engineering comes from considering the role simulation plays in constructing a system. We propose a conceptual model that combines an embryonic concept of the value of an information bit with cost estimation tools used in software engineering. The model provides an economic justification for the common conception that models should be built to address specific questions rather than to comprehensively represent a referent system. Extending these ideas, we offer a model for the incremental value of parallel execution to explain why simulation applications that take advantage of sophisticated parallel discrete event simulation tools form a relatively narrow niche despite the ubiquity of parallel computing hardware. The proposed model enables us to bring value of information criteria into model development and to make predictions about the future of parallel simulation applications.
Spontaneous coronary artery dissection in a postpartum e-cigarette smoker.

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is a rare but lethal cause of acute coronary syndrome that occurs in young women during the peripartum/postpartum periods. We present a case of a 41-year-old woman with no significant medical history, but was a habitual e-cigarette smoker who presented with atypical chest pain 2 weeks after an uncomplicated delivery while breast feeding. The patient was found to have elevated cardiac enzymes and ST segment elevations in the anterior leads. An urgent cardiac catheterisation was performed, which revealed dissection and occlusion of the left anterior descending artery, and a drug-eluting stent was placed that resulted in the resolution of chest pain. Physiological changes during the postpartum period may be linked to an increased risk of developing SCAD.1 In addition, e-cigarette smoking is associated with increased oxidative stress and sympathetic activity, which may predispose patients to an increased risk of acute coronary syndrome.
Effective Web and Java Security Education with the SWEET Course Modules/Resources

We have developed a complete set of open-source tutorials and hands-on lab exercises, called Secure WEb dEvelopment Teaching (SWEET), to introduce security concepts and practices for web and Java application development. SWEET provides introductory tutorials, teaching modules utilizing virtualized hands-on exercises, and project ideas in web and Java application security. In addition, SWEET provides pre-configured virtual computer for laboratory exercises. This paper describes the SWEET design and resources in general and its Java security module in particular. SWEET has been integrated into computing courses at multiple universities and it has supported innovative student projects like a secure web-based online trader simulator.
Process monitoring in milling unidirectional composite laminates through wavelet analysis of force signals

Abstract The extensive application of composite materials in the aerospace and automobile industry and significant machining challenges warrant the need of process monitoring techniques. These techniques help in detecting dynamical instabilities, monitoring machining induced damage and surface quality within a given tolerance. This study discusses the application of continuous wavelet transform analysis in trimming of unidirectional graphite epoxy laminates. The suggested approach is used to obtain time-frequency scalograms and windowed Shannon entropy to characterize the process for different machining conditions and fiber orientation angles. The relative wavelet entropy (RWE) proved to be an efficient classifier in characterizing and developing optimum values at different experimental conditions. A deviation from these optimum values indicated severe damage. In addition, a positive correlation was found between RWE and surface quality.
Securing Empire's Borderlands: Reflections from South Asia:

Securing Empire's Borderlands: Reflections from South AsiaNumerous «minor states» exercised sovereignty on borderlands of European empires c. 1850–1950. Conceived by colonial officials as security ...
Arterial spin labeling provides a reliable neurobiological marker of autism spectrum disorder.

Research on neurobiological markers of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been elusive. However, radionuclide studies of cerebral blood flow (CBF) have shown decreased blood flow (hypoperfusion) in the temporal lobes of individuals with ASD across ages and intelligence. This observation fits with current neuroscientific models that implicate temporal regions in social perception and social cognition. Arterial spin labeled perfusion MRI allows noninvasive quantification of regional CBF as part of a multimodal MRI protocol. This method is almost entirely absent from ASD research to date. Our a priori hypothesis was that children with ASD would present with hypoperfusion in the temporal lobes—most notably the fusiform gyrus (given its prominent role in ASD social perception deficits). We also sought to examine the reproducibility of CBF measures, and their relationship to individual differences in facial recognition and ASD symptoms. A total of 58 males (33 with ASD) between the ages of 12 and 17 years participated in the study. All children completed two arterial spin labeling and structural (T1) scans using a 3 T Siemens Verio scanner approximately 8 weeks apart, as well as behavioral testing at time 1 that included diagnostic measures and the Benton Facial Recognition Test. CBF was the key dependent variable, as was facial recognition performance, and ASD symptoms. The two scans were used for reliability analyses. The ASD group showed hypoperfusion in the bilateral fusiform gyrus and in right inferior temporal gyrus. Intra-class correlations showed moderate to good reliability across time within both groups, and no diagnostic group × time interactions. CBF in the left fusiform gyrus was significantly positively correlated with facial recognition. No significant correlations were observed with core ASD symptoms. Arterial spin labeling revealed hypoperfusion in children with ASD in regions critical to social perception and cognition. The left fusiform gyrus plays an important role in facial recognition, and greater CBF in this region was correlated with more normative facial recognition performance in children with ASD. This study takes an important first step in establishing CBF of the temporal lobes as a reliable marker of ASD.
Instrument Development to Assess Design Project Appropriateness for Domain Relatedness, Ambiquity Tolerance, and Genderedness

This paper presents preliminary results of a currently funded NSF project that is developing and validating an instrument to assess the relationship between project appropriateness in domain relatedness, ambiguity, and genderedness and student efficacy in first-year engineering design courses. Because design is a defining activity for engineers, it is widely adopted as a means to introduce students to engineering. Many engineering schools now have first-year engineering courses, which feature engineering design learning in team-based settings. From a student’s perspective, motivation and self-efficacy may decrease when (1) the project domain (e.g., electrical engineering) is not directly related to their chosen major (e.g., chemical engineering), (2) the projects are perceived to be overly complex and ambiguous vis-a-vis student preparation, and (3) skewed toward a particular gender (e.g., masculine or feminine oriented). With this work, we aim to assist engineering design instructors in refining content to achieve higher retention rates.
Evaluating ligands for use in polymer ligand film (PLF) for plutonium and uranium extraction

This paper describes a new analyte extraction technique using polymer ligand film (PLF). PLFs were synthesized to perform direct sorption of analytes onto its surface for direct counting using alpha spectroscopy. The main focus of the new technique is to shorten and simplify the procedure for chemically isolating radionuclides for determination through a radiometric technique. 4′(5′)-di-t-butylcyclohexano 18-crown-6 (DtBuCH18C6) and 2-ethylhexylphosphonic acid (HEH[EHP]) were examined for plutonium extraction. Di(2-ethyl hexyl) phosphoric acid (HDEHP) were examined for plutonium and uranium extraction. DtBuCH18C6 and HEH[EHP] were not effective in plutonium extraction. HDEHP PLFs were effective for plutonium but not for uranium.
A Deep Learning-Based Weather Forecast System for Data Volume and Recency Analysis

Accurate weather forecast is important to our daily life and have both economic and environment impact. Through physical atmospheric models, a short period time weather can be accurately forecasted. To provide weather forecast, machines learning techniques can be used for understanding and analyzing weather patterns. In this paper, we propose a deep learning-based weather forecast system and conduct data volume and recency analysis by utilizing a real-world weather data set as a case study to demonstrate the learning ability of deep learning model. By using the Python Keras library and Pandas library1, we implement the proposed system. Based on the system, we find out not only the relationship between the prediction accuracy and data volume, but also the relationship between the prediction accuracy and data recency. Through extensive evaluations, our results show that according to the weather data we have been using, more data is beneficial to increasing the accuracy of a trained model. The recency of the data does not have a consistently significant impact on the accuracy of the trained model.1Certain commercial equipment, instruments, or materials are identified in this paper in order to specify the experimental procedure adequately. Such identification is not intended to imply recommendation or endorsement by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, nor is it intended to imply that the materials or equipment identified are necessarily the best available for the purpose.
Sensitivity study of BARC assembly

This paper will present modal analysis results from a systematic study of the assembly of the Box Assembly with Removable Component (BARC). The paper will present results from testing done with both the cut and un-cut version of the BARC and with the different pieces of the BARC both bolted together and attached with a structural adhesive. The boundary condition will be a fixed base excitation. The results will be presented in terms of both Frequency Response Functions (FRFs) and mode shapes and natural frequencies with a goal of showing how the BARC fixture changes with each assembly modification. Upon completion of this testing it is anticipated that a thorough understanding of how assembly methods change the dynamic response of the fixture. This may lead to a suggested assembly method for anyone testing a BARC fixture.