cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An integrative modeling and experimental study on the ionic resistance of ion-exchange membranes

Abstract In many applications, the ionic resistance of an ion-exchange membrane shows a strong dependency on the external solution concentration and hydrodynamic environment. It is critical to understand the insights of ion exchange membrane process if its ionic resistance can be simulated accurately. In this paper, we have developed a new model by taking into account both the membrane properties that affect the membrane bulk resistance and hydrodynamic environment that affects the non-ohmic behavior of membrane resistance. The new model not only explains external solution concentration dependency, but also explicitly establishes a relationship between the measured membrane resistance and current density. The modeling results on the direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC) resistance of membranes are compared with experimental data measured under different external solution concentrations and applied current densities. We demonstrate that the model accurately predicts the behaviors of sulfonated polypoly (2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) membranes and fumasep®-FKS and FAS membranes in all cases. The integrative modeling and experimental study provides insights into the ion-exchange membrane synthesis as well as reverse and conventional electrodialysis processes.
Multi-agent motion planning and coordination in polygonal environments using vector fields and model predictive control

In this paper, we extend earlier work on motion planning and coordination of multiple agents, to environments of arbitrary polygonal obstacles, using non-gradient vector fields to steer each agent towards their goal configurations while avoiding collisions. We formulate the vector fields so that the pattern of their integral curves depends on a parameter λ. By manipulating the value of λ, we obtain a set of vector fields whose integral curves define the flow lines for an a priori known obstacle environment. We use the vector field design in tandem with model predictive control to compute safe trajectories for multi-agent systems. The competence of the proposed methodology is demonstrated for both static and dynamic environment via simulation results. The efficacy of model predictive control in achieving control trajectories, free of chattering, for multi-agent coordination is validated through comparison to a state feedback coordination and control protocol.
Myodochine Seed Bugs (Hemiptera: Rhyparochromidae) from Crowns of an African Bunchgrass, Eragrostis curvula (Poaceae), Native Grasses, and other Tussock-Forming Graminoids (Cyperaceae, Juncaceae) in the Southern United States

Abstract. Carpilis barberi (Blatchley), Ptochiomera nodosa Say, Sisamnes claviger (Uhler), and S. contractus Distant are related seed bugs of the lygaeoid family Rhyparochromidae that once were placed in the same genus (Ptochiomera). The habits of only P. nodosa are well known. All four species (only one specimen of S. claviger was observed) were associated with the large, dense crowns of weeping lovegrass (Eragrostis curvula; Poaceae), an African bunchgrass that has been planted extensively in the southern United States. All species (excepting S. claviger) also were collected from crowns of native grasses of bunched growth habit; C. barberi also was associated with plants of other graminoid families: Cyperaceae (sedges) and Juncaceae (rushes). Arkansas, Georgia, Oklahoma, and South Carolina are new state records for C. barberi; Arkansas for P. nodosa and S. claviger; and Arkansas and Oklahoma for S. contractus. The three more frequently collected myodochines overwintered in crowns of weeping lovegrass (a...
Current Issues in Developmental Immunotoxicity

Developmental immunotoxicity (DIT) occurs when early-life events reshape immune development to the point of altering immune system responses, often with negative consequences for an organism. Within the vein of toxicology, such events include exposure to exogenous risk factors, including chemical, biological, or physical agents that change the course of immune system development. Early-life exposure to such events may result in suppression, hyperactivation , and/or misregulation of a host of immune responses to result in inflammatory diseases, allergy and asthma, autoimmune diseases, and/or decreased resistance to infectious agents. This chapter will review current issues associated with DIT, including an overview of current guidelines for assessing DIT in experimental animal models, lifetime health risks thought to be associated with DIT, the need for DIT testing in safety assessments of chemical substances, and the impacts of “twenty-first century toxicology” on DIT approaches and methods.
Synergy and Target Promiscuity Drive Structural Divergence in Bacterial Alkylquinolone Biosynthesis

Microbial natural products are genetically encoded by dedicated biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs). A given BGC usually produces a family of related compounds that share a core but contain variable substituents. Though common, the reasons underlying this divergent biosynthesis are in general unknown. Herein, we have addressed this issue using the hydroxyalkylquinoline (HAQ) family of natural products synthesized by Burkholderia thailandensis. Investigations into the detailed functions of two analogs show that they act synergistically in inhibiting bacterial growth. One analog is a nanomolar inhibitor of pyrimidine biosynthesis and at the same time disrupts the proton motive force. A second analog inhibits the cytochrome bc1 complex as well as pyrimidine biogenesis. These results provide a functional rationale for the divergent nature of HAQs. They imply that synergy and target promiscuity are driving forces for the evolution of tailoring enzymes that diversify the products of the HAQ biosynthetic pathway.
Dual-Band (2.4/4.8 GHz) implantable antenna for biomedical telemetry applications

We present a novel 12 mm × 12 mm dual-band implantable patch antenna with resonances at 2.4 GHz and 4.8 GHz. The antenna exhibits a simulated maximum realized gain of −26.5 dB and −13.5 dB at these frequencies, respectively. Concurrently, it is coated with a thin polymer layer to ensure biocompatibility. In this paper, we present the antenna design and Finite Element (FE) simulations of its reflection coefficient, realized gain, and Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) performance. Overall, the proposed design brings forward transformational possibilities for wireless implants that utilize mixing technologies to backscatter in the second harmonic of the received signal, among others.
ANSI/IEEE Exposure Standards for Radiofrequency Fields

The fact that exposure to continous, sinusoidal, time-varying, microwave and radiofrequency fields can produce untoward biological effects in human beings has been recognized for some time. Indeed, a sizable volume of studies has suggested that at both low- and high-power levels, exposure to microwave and radiofrequency fields could produce heating of tissues in the body. The thermalization may or may not be detectable using available temperature sensing devices as temperature elevations. Nevertheless, the absorbed energy initiates vibration and rotation of polar molecules in tissue water that would ultimately dissipate in heat.1 This information was instrumental in the recommendation by the United States of American Standards Institute (USASI) to establish in 1966, a power density of 10 mW/cm2 as the standard for human exposure to microwave and radiofrequency fields over any 6-min period.2
Fast, Rigorous Factorization and Discrete Logarithm Algorithms

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses two similar random algorithms, one for factoring and one for computing discrete logarithms in GF(q) where q is prime or a power of 2. The factoring algorithm will have expected worst case running time L(N)√2 + 0(1) the discrete logarithm algorithm will have expected worst case running time L(q)√2 + 0(1) preprocessing stage and expected worst case running time L(q)√1/2 + 0(1) actual discrete logarithm calculation. Both methods are quite similar to previously considered algorithms. In particular, the factoring algorithm is a variant of Dixon's random squares method, which is based on ideas of Morrison, Brillhart, and earlier writers. The random squares method is augmented with Lenstra's elliptic curve factoring method and Wiedemann's coordinate recurrence method for solving a sparse system of linear equations over a finite field. The discrete logarithm algorithm is based on the index calculus method of Western, Miller. Again, the new ingredients are the elliptic curve method and the coordinate recurrence method. It is perhaps paradoxical that the elliptic curve factoring method can be used as a subroutine in a rigorously analyzed algorithm while it has not been completely rigorously analyzed. The point is that the algorithms described in the chapter are random, so a subroutine need not work on all inputs. The chapter discusses that a somewhat weakened form of the elliptic curve method works fairly rapidly for most inputs. The argument uses a new result of Friedlander, Lagarias in analytic number theory.
Calculation of Elastic Constants Using Molecular Dynamics

Ray and Rahman have developed a useful method to determine elastic constants in molecular dynamics computer simulations. The adiabatic elastic constants are contained in a formula involving fluctuations in the microscopic stress tensor. Mij, in the microcanonical or EhN ensemble, whereas the isothermal elastic constants are contained in a fluctuation formula of the same form in the canonical or ThN ensemble. Here, E is the system energy, h is a 3x3 matrix constructed from the three vectors spanning the periodically repeating computational cell: h=(a,b,c), N is the particle number, and T is the system temperature. For a potential U which depends only upon the distances between the particles (and is not necessarily pairwise additive) this formula gives the elastic constants as a sum of three terms: a fluctuation term, a kinetic term and the Born contribution which depends upon the potential U. In the static Born method of calculating elastic constants, we have only the Born term evaluated at the static lattice positions of the atoms. The fluctuation equation furnishes a practical method of calculating elastic constants which introduces temperature contributions to the static Born values, producing a significant difference.
Blended Feedstocks for Thermochemical Conversion: Biomass Characterization and Bio-Oil Production From Switchgrass-Pine Residues Blends

An abundant, low-cost, and high-quality supply of lignocellulosic feedstock is necessary to realize the large-scale implementation of biomass conversion technologies capable of producing renewable fuels, chemicals, and products. Barriers to this goal include the variability in the chemical and physical properties of available biomass, and the seasonal and geographic availability of biomass. Blending several different types of biomass to produce consistent feedstocks offers a solution to these problems and allows for control over the specifications of the feedstocks. For thermochemical conversion processes, attributes of interest include carbon content, total ash, specific inorganics, density, particle size, and moisture content. In this work, a series of switchgrass and pine residues blends with varying physical and chemical properties were evaluated. Physical and chemical properties of the pure and blended materials were measured, including compositional analysis, elemental analysis, compressibility, flowability, density, and particle size distribution. To screen blends for thermochemical conversion behavior, the analytical technique, pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS), was used to analyze the vapor-phase pyrolysis products of the various switchgrass/pine residues blends. The py-GC/MS findings were validated by investigating the bio-oils produced from the selected blends using a lab-scale fluidized-bed pyrolysis reactor system. Results indicate that the physical properties of blended materials are proportional to the blend ratio of pure feedstocks. In addition, pyrolysis of pine residues resulted in bio-oils with higher carbon content and lower oxygen content, while switchgrass derived pyrolysis products contained relatively greater amount of anhydrosugars and organic acids. The distribution of the pyrolysis vapors and isolated bio-oils appear to be a simple linear combination of the two feedstocks. The concentration of alkali and alkaline earth metals (Ca, K, Mg, and Na) in the blended feedstocks were confirmed to be a critical parameter due to their negative effects on the bio-oil yield. This work demonstrates that blending different sources of biomass can be an effective strategy to produce a consistent feedstock for thermochemical conversion.
Effect of a School-Based Activity Tracker, Companion Social Website, and Text Messaging Intervention on Exercise, Fitness, and Physical Activity Self-Efficacy of Middle School Students:

This study examined the effect of a 10-week activity tracker, companion social website, and text messaging intervention on body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage, physical fitness, and physical...
Measuring Disaggregation Quality

We build a modified measure of disaggregation quality (MDQ) based on the disaggregation quality (DQ) measure from Chen, Miao, and Shevlin (2015). Both are parsimonious measures of disclosure quality in the annual report that can be constructed as the percentage of non-missing financial statement items in Compustat. However, we take additional screening steps to minimize counting errors by resolving missing values through accommodating GAAP changes over time and using a more comprehensive set of accounting equations from Casey et al. (2016). Consequently, MDQ relates more consistently to information quality proxies than DQ does, in pooled regression, across subsamples, and for various sample periods.
Comparative study of the vegetative and generative organs in pear varieties

An assortment of 17 pear varieties was examined in 2006 at Keszthely, Department of Horticulture, Georgicon Faculty of Agriculture, Veszprem University. The selected varieties were planted in 1980, grafted on seedling rootstock and represented the majority of existing pear plantations in Hungary. The main objective was the determination of suitability of the most important varieties for the purpose of intensive growing technologies even when grafted on vigorous seedling rootstock. The most important growing and fruiting characteristics of the varieties have been assessed and evaluated from the point of view of productivity. We stated that the relations of the trunk or the main axis to the lateral branches and fruiting structures are all subject to varietal effects and are valuable indices of the growing character. The quotient of the diameters of trunk and branch should be around 0.3-0.4, and the relative frequency of fruiting structures (Darda, nyars, vessző) meaning the ability of branching and regeneration associated with accurate pruning policies are decisive from the point of view of promising success.
Analysis of operational parameters, reactor kinetics, and floc characterization for the removal of estrogens via electrocoagulation.

Abstract Estrogenic compounds can cause human and ecological health issues and have been detected in surface and drinking water. In this research a reactor analysis determined the impact of operational parameters, the best fit kinetic model for the removal of estrone (E1), 17β-estradiol (E2), estriol (E3), and 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2) using a bench-top iron electrocoagulation reactor, and characterized the floc generated in-situ. The parameters investigated were current density, conductivity, stir rate, and polarity reversal. Estrogen removal correlated well with an increase in current density, while conductivity did not impact removal but did reduce potentials. High stir rates and frequent polarity reversal demonstrated greater removal. The operating parameters that achieved the greatest estrogen removal were a current density of 16.7 mA cm−2, conductivity of 1000 μS cm−1, stir rate of 500 rpm, and a polarity reversal time of 30 s. These parameters led to average removal efficiencies of 81%, 87%, 85%, and 97% for E1, E2, E3, and EE2, respectively. The removal data for all estrogenic compounds best fit a pseudo-first order relationship with kinetic rate constants of 0.015 min−1 for E1 and E2, 0.016 min−1 for E3 and 0.040 min−1 for EE2. The floc formed in-situ were characterized by determining the crystalline phases with X-ray diffraction, the size and zeta potential, and the shape and major components using scanning electron microscope with energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer. The iron coagulant generated during electrocoagulation was lepidocrocite with a point of zero charge of 5.67 and an average floc diameter of 2255 nm.
Reduction of reagent requirements and sludge generation in Fenton's oxidation of landfill leachate by synergistically incorporating forward osmosis and humic acid recovery.

Abstract Applications of Fenton's oxidation of landfill leachate is limited by both high reagent requirements and a large amount of sludge generation. To address those issues, forward osmosis (FO) and humic acid (HA) recovery were incorporated with Fenton's treatment. In the FO, leachate was concentrated by 3.2 times in 10 hours using a 5-M NaCl draw solution. The HA recovery increased from 1.86 to 2.45 g L−1 at pH 2 after FO concentration, mainly because of the replacement of O in the HA structure by other inorganics (i.e., Cl, Na, K) with higher molecular weights. Due to the movement of alkalinity causing species (i.e., HCO3−, CO32-) to the draw side driven by a concentration gradient, the H2SO4 requirement per g of recovered HA and per g of removed COD decreased by 46.4% and 17.1%, respectively. The HA recovery also decreased sludge generation by 30%. At a dimensionless oxidant dose of 0.5, the proposed system reduced the overall requirement of H2SO4 by 25.2%, NaOH by 34.6%, and both FeSO4.7H2O and H2O2 by 35%, compared to the standalone Fenton's treatment of raw leachate. Those results have demonstrated that the proposed system could greatly decrease the leachate volume, lower the reagent requirements, and reduce the sludge production towards sustainable leachate treatment.
Meta-analysis of breast cancer expression data using published gene signatures to reveal key cellular processes implicated in chemosensitivity and resistance.

509 Background: Although many pathways and cell states are implicated in therapeutic resistance, predicting response to chemotherapy remains a challenge. Methods: We assembled expression data and p...
Redefining Essence: Tuning and Temperament of Chinese Traditional Music

Since the 20th century, the circulation of Western music has induced different reactions in the non-Western world. Chinese music reformers saw Western music as scientific and progressive in its use of harmony, technologically advanced instruments, and mathematically rational temperament. Under China’s national music reform, many fretted or fixed-pitch traditional Chinese instruments were modified for equal temperament. The original tunings of Chinese traditional music, which employ microtonal intonations, were disessentialized in favor of equal temperament. However, in the 21st century, more and more Chinese music scholars and musicians have advocated the use of microtonal intonations as an essential attribute of traditional Chinese music.
Sunshine to Government—Opportunities for Engagement with Government Data

This is a proposal to review the state governmental data landscape with implications for teaching and research. This is a submission for the Special issue on Future Labs: Building the Accounting Te...
Modular Robot Design Synthesis with Deep Reinforcement Learning

Modular robots hold the promise of versatility in that their components can be re-arranged to adapt the robot design to a task at deployment time. Even for the simplest designs, determining the optimal design is exponentially complex due to the number of permutations of ways the modules can be connected. Further, when selecting the design for a given task, there is an additional computational burden in evaluating the capability of each robot, e.g., whether it can reach certain points in the workspace. This work uses deep reinforcement learning to create a search heuristic that allows us to efficiently search the space of modular serial manipulator designs. We show that our algorithm is more computationally efficient in determining robot designs for given tasks in comparison to the current state-of-the-art.
Musical Fatherhood: A Phenomenological Study

Although a number of studies have emerged in recent years on the role parents play in their children’s musical development, few have examined fatherhood. Through this phenomenological interview stu...
Specters of Islam: Anti-Islamist (Re)Presentations in Secular Media and Feminism (1979-2011)

In this paper, I trace historical developments in Islamist politics and mainstream feminism in relation to media representations of Muslim women. By examining articles in The New York Times (NYT) published between 1979 and 2011, I suggest that secular representations of Islam, both in the media and feminist discourse, propagate what I call ‘anti-Islamism.’ By constructing a periodization based on signature events within contemporary Islamist history (what I term an ‘Islamist periodization’), I identify tactical shifts within the larger, global strategy of anti-Islamism. As a conceptual frame, anti-Islamism moves beyond articulations that either conceptualize Islamophobia as a behavioral-psychological disposition created through misinformation, or as a structural form of racial bigotry. Instead, anti-Islamism describes a consistent effort to counter and negate Islam’s world-making aspirations. Ultimately, I deduce that feminism as a political and epistemic project (with three major exceptions) is necessarily incompatible with Islamic orthodoxy – an incompatibility reinforced by media representations.
Computing equilibrium in network utility-sharing and discrete election games

This paper studies the computation of pure Nash equilibrium (PNE) in network utility-sharing and discretized Hotelling–Downs games, and the interplay between these classes of games. First, we introduce and study a variant of network utility-sharing games with additional player-specific non-shareable costs (NUSG+), which is shown to possess a PNE. We extend polynomial-time PNE computation results to a class of graphs that generalizes series-parallel graphs when the non-shareable costs are player-independent. Second, a spatial election game is introduced with a discretized utility function. The complexity of this game is shown to be in Polynomial Local Search, and a polynomial-time PNE computation is derived for certain settings. Third, a spatio-temporal election game model is presented based on an NUSG+ when voter opinions form natural discrete clusters. This model captures several variants of the classic Hotelling–Downs election model, including ones with limited attraction, ability of candidates to enter, change stance positions and exit any time during the campaign or abstain from the race, the restriction on candidates to access certain stance positions, and the operational costs of running a campaign. Finally, we provide a polynomial-time PNE computation for an election game when stance changes are restricted.
Patriotism & Moral Theology

This essay examines the question of the moral justification of patriotism, given a Kantian view of morality as requiring an equal respect for every human being. The essay considers the background i...
Project restoring faith: a project of its own

Community based youth programs can provide a safe space for adolescents to spend time during off school hours. It is during this time that parents become concerned because youth could be more vulnerable to drugs and crime. According to some findings, it is during after-school hours that juvenile crime peaks as many adolescents arrive to an unsupervised home (Chung, 2000). But going beyond the physical space to safeguard youth from violence, community centers can provide appropriate, practical, and effective programs for youth’s identity development, exploration, and social relationship building.
Abstract B16: MECOM dysregulation is associated with poor outcome in pediatric therapy-related myeloid neoplasms

Therapy-related myeloid neoplasms (tMN) occur in children as a consequence of cytotoxic therapies used to treat childhood malignancies, are typically resistant to conventional chemotherapies, require hematopoietic cell transplantation as the only curative option, and typically have a dismal prognosis. While the genomic alterations that drive tMN in children have yet to be comprehensively described, alterations involving the MECOM locus have been described in some myeloid neoplasms like tMN. Overexpression of MECOM is associated with poor prognosis in myeloid malignancies, is present in ~10% of adult cases, and occurs at an increased frequency in pediatric AML with KMT2A rearrangements (KMT2Ar). RNA sequencing from a cohort of 56 pediatric tMN cases collected at St. Jude shows that 24 (43%) cases within our cohort express high levels of MECOM (FPKM value >5). In these 24 cases, we identified one with a canonical fusion (RUNX1-MECOM), one with a NUP98 fusion (NUP98-HHEX), and 18 with KMT2Ar. Whole-genome sequencing demonstrated that two of the remaining MECOMHigh cases have a t(2;3)(p21;q26.2) involving MECOM on chromosome 3 and noncoding regions of chromosome 2 adjacent to ZFP36L2, a gene highly expressed in hematopoietic cells. Further, ENCODE data support that this region of the genome is an active enhancer, suggesting a proximity effect in which this enhancer has been hijacked to drive high levels of MECOM expression. The two remaining cases with aberrant and unexplained MECOM expression are currently under evaluation. In our cohort, MECOM expression levels are predictive of a worse outcome (overall survival at 2 years: MECOMHigh=12.5% vs. MECOMLow=40.6%; log rank p Citation Format: Tamara Lamprecht, Jason R. Schwartz, Jing Ma, Michael P. Walsh, Jeffery M. Klco. MECOM dysregulation is associated with poor outcome in pediatric therapy-related myeloid neoplasms [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on the Advances in Pediatric Cancer Research; 2019 Sep 17-20; Montreal, QC, Canada. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(14 Suppl):Abstract nr B16.
Do Firms Consider Economic Outlook When Determining Payout Policy

Payout policy is one of the most important policies set by firms and represents a major use of capital by publicly traded corporations. Firms should consider future economic activity and future firm performance when determining payout policy choices, given they are cash outflow commitments from the firm. We empirically examine whether firms use economic outlook when determining payout policy using publicly available data from the Chicago Federal Reserve Bank and Compustat. We find that economic outlook is positively related to firm payout policy. Specifically, we find that firms are more likely to pay out cash dividends and repurchase shares when economic outlook is positive. Furthermore, when examining only firms already paying dividends and/or repurchasing shares, firms pay greater amounts of cash dividends and repurchase more shares when economic outlook is positive. We are the first, to our knowledge, to examine whether firms use economic outlook to determine their payout policy. Our paper motivates future research in corporate finance to examine how firms use economic outlook when making capital planning decisions.
Heterogeneous treatment effects and bias in the analysis of the stepped wedge design

The effect of an intervention in a stepped wedge design can vary across clusters or with time since exposure to treatment, but consequences of such heterogeneous treatment effects for the analysis of stepped wedge designs are not well recognized. In this article, we advance the idea that the stepped wedge design can be framed as a special case of a difference-in-differences design with staggered treatment exposure. Using this perspective, we show that the standard difference-in-differences regression approach estimates the average treatment effect of the treatment period with bias when treatment effects vary by cluster or time since exposure. We then use Monte-Carlo simulations of stepped wedge designs to examine the performance of the standard regression approach as well as alternative approaches that estimate treatment effects relative to intervention exposure. Simulation results confirm that estimates from the standard approach are biased when treatment effects are heterogeneous. Alternative regression approaches may perform better, but only if the research design allows estimation of the full treatment effect across all clusters. We conclude by offering recommendations for the design and analysis of stepped wedge trials.
Unconscious bias in schools: A developmental approach to exploring race and racism: by T. A. Benson and S. E. Fiarman, Cambridge, Massachusetts, Harvard Education Press, 2019, 208 pp., $32.00, ISBN 978-1-68253-369-7

For equity-minded educators, the concept of unconscious bias may feel familiar. However, simple awareness of unconscious racial bias is not enough to dismantle racism. Benson and Fiarman move past ...
1916 in global context: an anti-imperial moment: edited by Enrico Dal Lago, Róisín Healy, and Gearóid Barry, London, Routledge, 2018, xvi + 231 pp., $160.00 (hardback), ISBN-13: 978-1-1387-4999-3

For good reason, 1917 gets a great deal of attention as a critical period in the Great War, but the previous year was no less eventful. This is particularly true when viewing the events of 1916 fro...
Total positivity of some polynomial matrices that enumerate labeled trees and forests, I. Forests of rooted labeled trees.

We consider the lower-triangular matrix of generating polynomials that enumerate $k$-component forests of rooted trees on the vertex set $[n]$ according to the number of improper edges (generalizations of the Ramanujan polynomials). We show that this matrix is coefficientwise totally positive and that the sequence of its row-generating polynomials is coefficientwise Hankel-totally positive. More generally, we define the generic rooted-forest polynomials by introducing also a weight $m! \, \phi_m$ for each vertex with $m$ proper children. We show that if the weight sequence $\phi$ is Toeplitz-totally positive, then the two foregoing total-positivity results continue to hold. Our proofs use production matrices and exponential Riordan arrays.
One-Stage Buccal Mucosal Graft Urethroplasty for Lichen Sclerosus-Related Urethral Stricture Disease: A Systematic Review and Pooled Proportional Meta-Analysis.

Purpose:Performing 1-stage urethroplasty in patients with urethral strictures caused by lichen sclerosus (LS) is hotly debated among reconstructive urologists due to conflicting reports of success....
Problems Inhibiting Energetic Analyses of Migration

A major goal of students of avian migration is to understand the suite of factors that has produced the impressive diversity of migratory patterns observed in birds and the significance of such variation for the organism’s fitness. Prudence generally dictates suspicion of single-factor explanations for complex biological problems. In the case of avian migration, however, it seems likely that dissecting the energetic bases and consequences of variable migratory patterns will be a particularly fruitful approach. The behavior of birds in migration is largely directed toward the single task of moving long distances and the resource of overwhelming importance for this activity clearly is energy. This contrasts with other portions of the annual cycle such as reproduction, during which tactics for energy acquisition may be significantly complicated by simultaneous demands for nutrients such as protein (e.g., Drobney 1980). Such considerations strongly suggest that analyses of migration energetics are likely to yield substantial insights.
Like Passwords: But Faster, Easier and More Secure

We describe and analyze a variant of the traditional password scheme. This is designed to take advantage of standard error-correcting methods used to facilitate text entry on handsets. We call the new approach fastwords to emphasize their primary regular passwords; the former being. Fastwords are approximately twice as fast to enter on mobile keyboards, and three times as fast on full-size keyboards than regular passwords. This is supported by user studies reported herein. Furthermore, these user studies show that fastwords also have considerably greater entropy than passwords,and that their recall rates are dramatically higher than that of passwords and PINs. The new structure permits a memory jogging technique in which a portion of the fastword is revealed to a user who has forgotten it. We show that this results in boosted recall rates, while maintaining a security above that of traditional passwords. We also introduce the notion of equivalence classes—whether based on semantics or pronunciation—and describe uses, including voice-based authentication. The new technology does not need any client-side modification.
Early Postmortem Changes and Stages of Decomposition

When faced with the task of estimating a period of time since death, there are generally two known points existing for the worker: the time at which the body was discovered and the last time the individual was reliably known to be alive. The death occurred between these two points and the aim is to estimate when it most probably took place. This will be an estimate since, it is generally accepted that there is actually no scientific way to precisely determine the exact period of time since death. What is done in the case of entomology is an estimation of the period of insect activity on the body. This period of insect activity will reflect the minimum period of time since death or postmortem interval (PMI) but will not precisely determine the time of death. In most cases, the later point is more accurately known than the former. Individuals tend to recall when they first encountered the dead body with considerable precision. This is typically not in their normal daily routine and it makes an impression, even on those accustomed to dealing with the dead.
The Influence of Temporal Choice, Correlation, and Sample Size on Income Convergence

b-convergence is determined by the sign of the slope of the income growth line. The conclusion of significance, hence convergence or divergence, is affected by the temporal choice. Changes in the starting and ending periods influence the conclusion of convergence, lack of significance, or divergence. The customary t-test for significance of slope is influenced by correlation between the base year and the growth rate over the period of study as well as the sample size. To separate the two contributing factors, the t-test is formulated as a function of the correlation coefficient.
Effect of hepatic vitamin A depletion on the liver in humans and rats

Abstract Multivesicular lysosomes were observed by electron microscopy in 25 of 41 liver biopsies of subjects with various diseases. These organelles were acid phosphatase positive and were limited by a single membrane with a homogeneous electrondense crescent and contained numerous lipidlike particles of different sizes reminiscent of lipoproteins. The lesion was seen in both alcoholic and nonalcoholic liver injury, and was negatively correlated p
A difference between spleen-derived and bone marrow-derived colony-forming units in ability to protect lethally irradiated mice.

Suspensions of cells in the bone marrow and in the spleen of normal mice were prepared. Two groups of lethally irradiated mice were given cells from bone marrow and two groups of lethally irradiated mice were given cells from the spleen of the same donor mouse. One of the groups injected with bone marrow and one injected with spleen cells were killed at 9 days for determination of CFU. The remaining animals were followed for 100 days to determine the mortality statistics. The mortality among mice not given cells was 100 per cent; among mice injected with cells, the mortality was reduced. The data permit a comparison of the reduction in mortality (protection) following injection of bone marrow CFU with protection following injection of spleen CFU. Protection with CFU of bone marrow was different from protection with CFU of spleen. It seems possible that both hemopoietic pluripotent "stem cells" and "early differentiated progenitors" can form spleen colonies and that the ratio of these CFU may be different for bone marrow and spleen.
Development and application of a simple product development and marketing strategy model

A P&L statement (the operating statement) was used as a foundation for a simple strategy model that helped evaluate changes in marketing and product development strategy. The usefulness of the model is being extended by an optimization technique and by adding the value model of the decision-maker.
Geology of the clugger fluorite deposit, mato preto, parana, brazil

The Mato Preto fluorite deposite are located in the Ribeira River valley 80 km NNE from Curitiba, Parana, Brazil. They consist of three known orebodies and numerous minor occurrences within an area of about 15 km 2 . Clugger, the largest deposit, is a hydrothermal replacement and fracture-filling type in a brecciated and sheared contact zone among carbonatite, nepheline syenite, phonolite, and tinguaite of the Cretaceous-Paleocene age Mato Preto Igneous Complex. Fluorite occurs four subparallel but coalescing ore lenses which form envelopes about dikes of phonolite-tinguaite and have strike lengths of 250 m, aggregate thickness up to 80 m, and extend to at least 120 m in depth . Dikes and lenses strike N50-55E and dip steeply to the northwest. Fluorite forms matrix replacemcnts and crosscutting veins in premineral and intermineral breccias adjacent to dikes. Fluorite mineralization has been introduced in at least two pulses and is associated with barite-celestite, apatite, rare earth minerals, and sulfides. Late explosive venting of the system has formed pipes of volcanic breccia with crackle breccia in ore adjacent. Fluorite along breakage planes is recrystallized into monomineralic veinlets. Mineralization is associated with fracture controlled epidote alteration, but major silicification apparently predates ore. The c1ugger deposit was probably forned at low pressures and temperatures, possibly within a vent of a now-eroded Mato Preto volcano.
Map-based cloning of a fertility restorer gene, Rf-1, in rice (Oryza sativa L.).

Summary A rice nuclear gene, Rf-1, restores the pollen fertility disturbed by the BT-type male sterile cytoplasm, and is widely used for commercial seed production of japonica hybrid varieties. Genomic fragments carrying Rf-1 were identified by conducting chromosome walking and a series of complementation tests. Isolation and analysis of cDNA clones corresponding to the fragments demonstrated that Rf-1 encodes a mitochondrially targeted protein containing 16 repeats of the 35-aa pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) motif. Sequence analysis revealed that the recessive allele, rf-1, lacks one nucleotide in the putative coding region, presumably resulting in encoding a truncated protein because of a frame shift. Rice Rf-1 is the first restorer gene isolated from cereal crops that has the property of reducing the expression of the cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS)-associated mitochondrial gene like many other restorer genes. The present findings may facilitate not only elucidating the mechanisms of male sterility by the BT cytoplasm and its restoration by Rf-1 but also isolating other restorer genes from cereal crops, especially rice.
Nonlinear observer design for stabilization of gliding robotic fish

Gliding robotic fish is a new type of underwater robots for aquatic environmental monitoring applications. The robot features both buoyancy-driven gliding and active tail- actuated swimming or maneuvering. In our previous work, a passivity-based controller was designed for stabilizing the glide motion. Estimation of the system states including the velocities, which is essential for the feedback control implementation, is challenging for such a low-speed and low-cost underwater robot with highly nonlinear dynamics. In this paper, a nonlinear model-based observer is proposed to estimate the system states. For comparison purposes, a linear observer based on linearized dynamics is also considered. The nonlinear observer proves to have better performance over the linear observer, especially in terms of the robustness against the measurement noise. The proposed nonlinear observer is then implemented in the passivity-based stabilization controller on a gliding robotic fish, and the experimental results are presented to support the effectiveness of both the controller and the observer.
APPLICATIONS OF X-RAY EMISSION TO ELEMENTAL ANALYSIS OF FOODS

Trace element analysis via X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) and Proton-Induced X-Ray Emission (PIXE) techniques were applied to several samples of fresh and processed foods. Thin samples of fresh fruits and vegetables, processed dry foods. and spices were included in these analyses. The results indicate that XRF and/or PIXE analysis is applicable to these types of samples but require special and simple modifications in sample preparation techniques, and the inclusion of new matrix type corrections for data analysis. However, the non-destructive nature, reproducibility, efficiency and high sensitivity that characterize these multi-element analytical procedures can provide new potential methods for detecting trace elements in foods and in many agricultural commodities. Toxic metals such as Hg, Pb. and As were detected in some foods. In addition, other essential or neutral trace elements such as Na, K, Mg, Ca, Cu, Cr, V, Zn, Mo, Fe, Mn, Ni, Se, Cl, S, and P were also detected. These and other elements can be analyzed rapidly and with high sensitivity for applications in process control and for certification of food quality. Developing these techniques and procedures specifically for food and for various agricultural products may provide new analytical options and help mitigate the expected impact of forthcoming regulations intended to establish limits and tolerance levels for micro toxicants and other essential nutrients in foods and agricultural products.
Thermal behavior of Al and Al-3 at. % Ge thin films on Si wafers

The mechanical stresses of a pure Al film and a low‐thermal‐expansion Al‐3 at. % Ge thin film on (100) Si wafers are measured and compared in the temperature range of room temperature to 400 °C by the vibrating membrane method. The results are discussed including the comparison with those obtained by the popular wafer bending method. It was found that the chemical reaction between the Al and the Si substrate affects the mechanical stress. The relatively low stress in the Al(Ge) film is due to the interference of Ge precipitation. The relatively slow relaxation in the Al film during annealing may be caused by the dissolution of Si into Al.
Cortisol dynamics in the adrenal venous effluent.

ABSTACT Adrenal venous cortisol (AVC) levels were determined in 33 patients. Twenty-seven had no disorder of glucocorticoid secretion. Baseline AVC varied from 10 to 230 μg/100 ml (mean 74.2 ± 13.2 sem), while peripheral cortisol (PC) varied from 4–25 /ug/100 ml (mean 12.9 ±1.1 μg/100 ml). Simultaneous right (RAVC) and left (LAVC) adrenal venous cortisols were similar (RAVC 76.2 ± 18.7 μg/100 ml, LAVC 72.2 ± 11.7 μg/100 ml). Nonsimultaneous RAVC and LAVC differed by as much as 4-fold. Repeated fifteen minute sampling in 5 patients showed spontaneous increase or decrease in AVC suggesting pulsing of steroidogenesis. Thirty min following dexamethasone 4.0 mg intravenously (Dex) AVC fell to 17.8 ± 2.6 μg/100 ml, while PC fell to 9.0 ± 0.8 μg/100 ml. Five min after beta 1–24 ACTH 250 μg intravenously, AVC rose to 520 ± 78.7 μg/100 ml while PC rose to 16.5 ± 1.8 μg/100 ml. In 5 patients with Cushing's syndrome baseline AVC ranged from 33–1100 μg/100 ml. No appreciable decrease in AVC followed dexamethasone but...
Initial gene vector dosing for studying symptomatology of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in non-human primates

AbstractBackground Most amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) research has focusedon mice, but there are distinct differences in the functional neuroanatomy ofthe corticospinal pathway in primates vs. rodents. A non-human primatemodel may be more sensitive and more predictive for therapeutic efﬁcacy.Methods Rhesus macaques received recombinant adeno-associated virus(AAV9) encoding either the ALS-related pathological protein TDP-43 or agreen ﬂuorescent protein (GFP) control by intravenous administration.Motor function and electromyography were assessed over a nine-monthexpression interval followed by post-mortem analyses.Results Recombinant TDP-43 or GFP was stably expressed long term.Although the TDP-43 subjects did not manifest severe paralysis and atrophy,there were trends of a partial disease state in the TDP-43 subjects relative tothe control.Conclusions These data indicate that a higher gene vector dose will likely benecessary for more robust effects, yet augur that a relevant primate model isfeasible.IntroductionTherapeutic options for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis(ALS) and other neurodegenerative diseases are limited,potentially due to the lack of disease models that are pre-dictive for efﬁcacy in humans. The corticospinal tract inprimates is distinct from rodents. The corticospinal tractin primates is mediolateral and more of a pure motorpathway compared to rodents [1]. Due to the greateranatomical similarities, the functional tests in non-human primates (NHP) are clinically relevant, for exam-ple, neurological examination and electromyography(EMG), which is signiﬁcant for tests that are more sensi-tive and more predictive than rodent models. Enhancingthe resolution of measuring neuromotor deﬁcits will helpestablish a more sensitive and more relevant detectionsystem compared to rodent models. A NHP model ofALS may permit the study of underlying disease mecha-nisms occurring in humans that are not effectivelyassayed for or are entirely missed in other models. Theoverall premise is that capture of human relevant pro-cesses coupled with high ﬁdelity behavioral tests willunlock our ability to develop therapies that work inhumans. This experiment is a preliminary dosing study
Influence of Landau-level mixing on the charge-density-wave state of a two-dimensional electron gas in a strong magnetic field

The influence of Landau-level mixing on the charge-density-wave (CDW) state of the two-dimensional electron gas in a strong magnetic field has been investigated. We find that it is necessary to calculate the mixing self-consistently. The results show that little change in the ground-state energy results even when the interaction energy becomes stronger than the Landau-level separation but that there is a substantial change of the charge-density variation, especially for electron CDW states.