cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
New methods for passive estimation of TCP round-trip times

We propose two methods to passively measure and monitor changes in round-trip times (RTTs) throughout the lifetime of a TCP connection. Our first method associates data segments with the acknowledgments (ACKs) that trigger them by leveraging the TCP timestamp option. Our second method infers TCP RTT by observing the repeating patterns of segment clusters where the pattern is caused by TCP self-clocking. We evaluate the two methods using both emulated and real Internet tests.
Reactive synaptogenesis and neuron densities for neuropeptide Y, somatostatin, and glutamate decarboxylase immunoreactivity in the epileptogenic human fascia dentata

This study determined differences of fascia dentata (FD) peptide and inhibitory neuroanatomy between patients with epileptogenic hippocampal sclerosis (HS), those with extrahippocampal seizure pathologies, and autopsy comparisons. Surgically treated temporal lobe epilepsy patients were clinically classified into two pathogenic categories: (1) HS with focal mesial temporal neuroimaging and histories of initial precipitating injuries to the brain (n = 18) and (2) non-HS patients with extrahippocampal mass lesions or idiopathic seizures (i.e., without lesions or HS; mass lesion/idiopathic; n = 9). The hippocampal sections were studied for (1) granule cell, hilar, CA4, and CA3 neuron densities; (2) hilar densities and the percentage of neurons immunoreactive (IR) for neuropeptide Y (NPY), somatostatin (SS), and glutamate decarboxylase (GAD); (3) densities of GAD neurons in the lower granule cell and infragranular zone (basket-like cells); (4) the semiquantitative pattern of IR peptides/GAD FD molecular layer axon sprouting; (5) IR gray values (GV) of the FD molecular layers; and (6) the thickness of the supragranular molecular layer. Results showed the following. (1) Compared to autopsies, both HS and mass lesion/idiopathic patients showed less granule cell and CA3 neuron densities, but there were no statistical differences between the latter two pathogenic categories. (2) By contrast, compared to autopsies and mass lesion/idiopathic cases, HS patients showed less hilar and CA4 neuron densities, and there were no differences between autopsies and mass lesion/idiopathic. (3) Compared to autopsies, the NPY and SS hilar neuron densities in HS patients, but not mass lesion/idiopathic cases, were less. (4) Compared to autopsies, the hilar GAD neuron densities for HS and mass lesion/idiopathic patients were not less. (5) In HS patients the averaged percentages of hilar SS neurons were less than autopsies, and no other differences of IR hilar percentages were found. (6) The densities of GAD basket-like neurons and the thickness of the supragranular molecular layer were not different between any combination of pathogenic categories and autopsies. (7) By semiquantitative visual assessments, peptides/GAD axon sprouting into the FD was greater in HS compared to mass lesion/idiopathic or autopsies. (8) Compared to mass lesion/idiopathic cases, in HS NPY outer molecular layer GVs were lower, SS GVs were not different, and GAD inner molecular layer GVs were higher. (9) Analyses comparing the two pathogenic categories and neuron densities with peptides/GAD axon sprouting found six comparisons that correlated sprouting with hilar and CA4 neuron losses, and four comparisons showing greater sprouting in HS compared to mass lesion/idiopathic.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Estimating the Diurnal Cycle and Daily Insolation of Ultraviolet and Photosynthetically Active Radiation at the Sea Surface.

Accurate determination of the diurnal variability and daily insolation of surface (0(+) ) and subsurface (0(-) ) irradiance are essential to estimate several physical, chemical and biological processes occurring at the surface layer of marine environments. Natural downwelling PAR and spectral UVR were examined on eight occasions at 0(+) and 0(-) to refine empirical models, particularly in the UVR spectrum. The diurnal variability in UVR and PAR were wavelength dependent and were modeled by a sinusoidal equation. The best fit for PAR at 0(+) and 0(-) was the sinusoid power of n = 2 and n = 2.5, respectively. In the UVR spectrum, sinusoids increased as wavelengths decreased ranging from n = 2-5. Higher n values in the UV-B spectrum suggest sharper increase/decrease near sunrise and sunset hours, ultimately reducing the final value of daily insolation at specified wavelengths. Calculated daily insolation of UV-B/(UV-A + PAR) ratio suggests that photoinhibition from exposure to UV-B occurs within a shorter biologically effective day length than PAR, and is high during summer and low during winter. These results suggest that biogeochemical calculations based on diurnal models of irradiance measurements would benefit from accurate solar noon references and wavelength specificity, particularly in the UVR spectrum.
PHYSICAL FACTORS VS. BIOTIC RESISTANCE IN CONTROLLING THE INVASION OF AN ESTUARINE MARSH GRASS

We examined the relative roles of biotic resistance and abiotic factors in controlling the establishment and early survival of an invasive marine grass, Spartina anglica, in the Pacific Northwest. S. anglica can invade diverse estuarine habitats, including established salt marshes, mudflats, and cobble beaches; these vary in native species assemblages and in abiotic conditions, especially sediment salinity, water content, and composition. In four habitat types in northern Puget Sound, we conducted a seed addition experiment to quantify germination and early growth. In vegetated habitats we also manipulated plant neighbors. Seed germination and early growth varied with habitat and zone, but physical factors played a more important role than species interactions. Seedlings in low-salinity marshes and mudflats grew almost 10 times larger than those in coarse-grained or high-salinity habitats. Patterns of seedling persistence among habitats matched those of natural seedling abundances and mirrored the degree ...
Speculations on the Next Ten Years in Electromagnetic Field Simulation

The author speculates on the future uses of electromagnetic field, simulation tools for MMIC designer in the next decade. First, a brief overview is given as to the current types of the most common classes of numerical, field algorithms, and their typical uses. Arguments are then made that simulation problem size will increase by a factor of 100 to 1000 from present day. This will allow field simulation tools to be used in circuit and system level design, and optimization loops. Finally, the features of future software programs are discussed.
Text extraction from gray scale historical document images using adaptive local connectivity map

This paper presents an algorithm using adaptive local connectivity map for retrieving text lines from the complex handwritten documents such as handwritten historical manuscripts. The algorithm is designed for solving the particularly complex problems seen in handwritten documents. These problems include fluctuating text lines, touching or crossing text lines and low quality image that do not lend themselves easily to binarizations. The algorithm is based on connectivity features similar to local projection profiles, which can be directly extracted from gray scale images. The proposed technique is robust and has been tested on a set of complex historical handwritten documents such as Newton's and Galileo's manuscripts. A preliminary testing shows a successful location rate of above 95% for the test set.
The Old English Have-Perfect and Its Congeners

The English have-perfect can be traced to Old English [habban ‘have’ + noun + perfect participle]. A comparative look at the development of the have-perfect in Romance suggests a way to reassess th...
TiO2 Surface Functionalization to Control the Density of States

Surface functionalization of mesoporous nanocrystalline (anatase) TiO2 thin films with decyltriethoxysilane, octyltriethoxylsilane, hexyltriethoxysilane, decylphosphonic acid, undecanoic acid, and hemin was accomplished by room temperature reactions in toluene, acetonitrile, or DMSO. Surface functionalization was verified by attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and the integrated density of unfilled TiO2 states (DOS) were probed by spectroelectrochemical, reactivity, and excited-state injection yield measurements. With the exception of hexyltriethoxysilane, all surface functionalizations were found to shift the DOS positive on an electrochemical scale (away from the vacuum level) in 0.1 M tetrabutylammonium ion containing electrolyte. The magnitude of the effect was found to be dependent on the surface coverage. The potential onset of the unfilled TiO2 states was not affected by functionalization in 0.1 M lithium ion containing electrolyte but the DOS at more negative potentials wa...
High capacity, high speed ATM network for the joint warrior interoperability demonstration, JWID'94

The JWID'94 high capacity enhanced services ATM Network was installed and made operational for the demonstration. This demonstration showed that the ATM technology and products are mature. It accommodated distributed collaborative planning (DCP) activities to support global command and control system (GCCS) warfighters application. Some of the advertised ATM technology features and capabilities were evaluated during JWID'94. In particular, bandwidth reservation features showed that C4I users supporting each CINC access fully utilized circuits and make use of "reserved bandwidth-on-demand" without affecting mission priorities. This capability was invaluable when needed for high priority video teleconferencing (VTC) sessions during DCP activities. The interface with SECRET-high legacy systems was also evaluated and successfully demonstrated. The scalable design of the ATM switches supported direct connection allowing the network to match user line speed requirements on a cost efficient basis. Network management was accomplished using commercial-off-the-shelf Government owned products. DISA standards based network operations, which included monitoring, control, performance analysis, trouble diagnosis, maintenance dispatch and network configuration management, were accomplished using existing DISA tools and approved procedures for managing other DISA networks.
Improving trace cache effectiveness with branch promotion and trace packing

The increasing widths of superscalar processors are placing greater demands upon the fetch mechanism. The trace cache meets these demands by placing logically contiguous instructions in physically contiguous storage. As a result, the trace cache delivers instructions at a high rate by supplying multiple fetch blocks each cycle.In this paper, we examine two techniques to improve the number of instructions delivered each cycle by the trace cache. The first technique, branch promotion, dynamically converts strongly biased branches into branches with static predictions. Because these promoted branches require no dynamic prediction, the branch predictor suffers less from the negative effects of interference.Branch promotion unlocks the potential of the second technique: trace packing. With trace packing, trace segments are packed with as many instructions as will fit, without regard to naturally occurring fetch block boundaries. With both techniques, the effective fetch rate of the trace cache jumps up 17% over a trace cache which implements neither.On a machine where the execution engine has a very aggressive memory disambiguator, the performance of a machine using branch promotion and trace packing is on average 11% higher than a machine using neither technique.
Learning Disabilities: A Piagetian Perspective.

Research findings in learning disabilities based on Piaget's theory were reviewed. Superimposing the findings of research on Piagetian stages of cognitive development, it appears that during the sensorimotor stage the diagnosis of learning disabilities is difficult. The research findings suggest that there is a delay in cognitive development of learning-disabled children during elementary school years, which corresponds to preoperational, concrete operational, and transition to formal operational stages. From a genetic epistemological perspective, research evidence supports a “developmental lag” approach to learning disabilities. Implications for assessment, curriculum planning, and education are discussed.
Density of Prairie Skinks (Eumeces septentrionalis) in Old-field Habitats

Abstract From 1996–1998 I estimated the density of prairie skinks (Eumeces septentrionalis) in old fields and evaluated the influence of habitat characteristics on density. I estimated prairie skink density from a trapping grid using a mark-recapture method in seven old fields. For each field I estimated arthropod density, percent plant cover and recorded field age and if the field had been burned in the last 5 y. Arthropod density was highly variable among years and fields. Percent plant cover did not explain this variation, as it varied little among fields and years. Prairie skink density ranged from 58–206 adults per ha among fields and was significantly correlated with field age, arthropod abundance and burn treatment. Because of the small number of replicated sampling units, however, I was unable to determine the independent effects of each factor. Prairie skink density increased with successional age but the mechanisms responsible for this pattern remain unclear.
Fundoplication after Laparoscopic Myotomy for Achalasia

Esophageal achalasia is a primary esophageal motility disorder of unknown origin characterized by lack of esophageal peristalsis and inability of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) to relax properly in response to swallowing. The goal of treatment is to relieve the functional obstruction caused by the LES, therefore allowing emptying of food into the stomach by gravity. However, the elimination of the LES may be followed by reflux of gastric contents into the aperistaltic esophagus, with slow clearance of the refluxate and the risk of developing esophagitis, strictures, Barrett’s esophagus, and even adenocarcinoma.
Optimal communication jamming rate tradeoff for MIMO communications

We consider the problem of simultaneous MIMO communication and jamming in the presence of interference. A multiantenna transmitter desires to reliably communicate at a high rate with a multiantenna receiver, while at the same time jamming the receiver of another team. This presents a resource allocation problem for the transmitter that leads to a fundamental tradeoff in communication rates. We derive bounds on the communication rate of each team and characterize the optimal rate tradeoff region using tools from convex analysis. We develop a novel convex optimization framework and algorithm for achieving all rate pairs in the Pareto optimal boundary via transmit covariance optimization. Numerical simulations are presented to support the theory.
Taxonomic Assessment on the Six New Records of Bulbophyllum Thour. (Orchidaceae) for Darjeeling Himalaya of West Bengal, India

Present paper deals with six taxa of the genus Bulbophyllum Thour. (Orchidaceae) as new records for Darjeeling Himalaya of West Bengal, namely Bulbophyllum affine Lindl., B. appendiculatum (Rolfe) J.J. Smith, B. bisetum Lindl., B. helenae (Kuntze) J.J. Smith, B. scabratum Rchb. f., and B. crassipes Hook. f. An updated nomenclature, important synonyms, illustrated description, photographs, habitat, flowering and fruiting, altitudinal range, specimen examined, present status and geographical distribution for each species have also been given.
The Diagram Analysis of A Binary Distillation Allowing For Varying Molar Overflow

This paper described the analysis of a binary-distillation system allowing for varying molar overflow by the method of Ponchon and Savarit. The diagram analysis is to solve theoretical plate in rectifying and stripping sections. The equation has both simple form and geometric meaning, so it is convenient for application.
Design for Social Benefit Evaluation on Prevetion and Control of Geological Disaster in Three Gorges

The paper theoretically studies general plan for prevention and control of geological disaster in three gorges, as well as social benefits evaluation on relevant projects. Then, according the characteristics of the projects, it designs the contents of social benefits evaluation, one is to evaluate impact of 40 hundred million RMB state investment in prevention and control of geological disaster on people's life security, another is to evaluate impact of the prevention and control of geological disaster on the reduction of sludge in reservoir, the third is to analyze social impact of prevention and control of geological disaster on society in immigrant regions of three gorges. Moreover, it points out the method of evaluation.
A study of the effect of para-aminosalicylic acid on blood coagulation and prothrombin concentration on patients with tuberculosis.

SUMMARY An attempt has been made to evaluate the effect of PAS on the prothrombin concentration and coagulation time of blood and, further, to ascertain whether or not this effect is of clinical importance. PAS was found to have no discernible effect upon the coagulation time of thirty patients studied. A moderate prolongation of the prothrombin time over control values was found in eleven of eighty-one patients studied; these prolongations varied from 2.8 seconds to 5.8 seconds. All but three of these prolonged prothrombin times returned to normal values after PAS had been discontinued. There was no clinically evident adverse effect upon blood coagulation, because in 288 surgical procedures, 90 per cent of which were preceded by PAS, there were no instances of abnormal hemostasis at the time of surgery or in the immediate postoperative period.
Report on the Conference on Aging, Reproduction, and the Climacteric

Cette conference qui regroupait des specialistes de la periode monopausique a permis une revue generale des differents aspects de cette periode de la vie genitale de la femme: aspects endocriniens certes mais egalement vecu de la sexualite, role des facteurs d'environnement, des facteurs genetiques; importance des etudes epidemiologiques pour faire la part du role de la menopause elle-meme et des pathologies intercurrentes. Le role du poids et plus particulierement du tissu adipeux et de la surrenale a ete specialement discute
Maximierung des O2-Transports beim kritisch Kranken Ein rationales Therapiekonzept?

Kritisch kranke Patienten bieten oft indirekte Zeichen der Gewebshypoxie, wie metabolische Azidose und erhohte Laktatspiegel im Blut. Das Konzept der Abhangigkeit der O2-Aufnahme (V·O2) vom systemischen O2-Transport (D·O2) besagt, das bei diesen Patienten durch eine Steigerung von D·O2 auch die Gewebeoxygenierung und damit die Uberlebensrate verbessert werden kann. Eine kritische Bewertung klinischer Befunde und Studien ergibt, das eine positive Korrelation zwischen D·O2 und V·O2nicht immer einer „pathologischen” Abhangigkeit beider Grosen entspricht. Fehlermoglichkeiten bei der Interpretation der Daten sind die mathematische Kopplung der Meswerte, Anderungen des O2-Bedarfs und die kalorigenen Effekte von Katecholaminen. Bei Sepsis und Organdysfunktion ist eine Laktatamie aufgrund des Hypermetabolismus dieser Patienten nicht beweisend fur eine Gewebshypoxie. Ausgangspunkt des Therapiekonzepts zur Maximierung des O2-Transports waren retrospektive Analysen der Daten kritisch kranker Patienten, wonach die Uberlebenden uber die Norm erhohte („supranormale”) Werte von Herzzeitvolumen, D·O2 und V·O2 geboten hatten. Volumenzufuhr, Ersatz von Erythrozyten, Katecholamine und vasoaktive Substanzen wurden zur Maximierung von D·O2 eingesetzt. Eine bereits praoperativ begonnene Steigerung von D·O2 hat sich bei Hochrisikopatienten in zwei Untersuchungen als benefiziell erwiesen. Die Ergebnisse mehrerer kontrollierter Studien zeigen jedoch, das der undifferenzierte Einsatz dieser Einzelmasnahmen zur Maximierung von D·O2, aber auch die Kombination von Therapiemodalitaten, bei einem heterogenen Kollektiv kritisch kranker Patienten keinen positiven Effekt auf Morbiditat und Uberlebensrate hat.
Abstract 3916: A “moneyball” approach to predicting clinical trial toxicity events

Over the past decade, significant strides have been made in the management and treatment of various diseases. Despite this progress, clinical attrition rates have continued to substantially rise. Clinical trials can fail for a variety of reasons, ranging from design issues to drug efficacy and safety problems. Drug-likeness approaches, as first proposed by Lipinski almost two decades ago, have become a key tool for the pre-selection of compounds that are likely to have manageable toxicity in clinical studies. However all these methods consider molecular properties of the drug itself alone. In general, these approaches struggle to simultaneously well-characterize the properties of both FDA approved drugs (which we term the sensitivity) and drugs that fail clinical trials (specificity). We introduce an approach that integrates chemical properties of a compound, along with that of its targets, to provide a new quantitative measure that helps predict whether drugs in clinical trials will fail for toxicity reasons. When trained on failed clinical trials and FDA approved drugs, this method performs at a high accuracy, specificity and sensitivity (∼0.75), as well as high area under the ROC curve (>0.80). In comparison, none of the drug-likeness approaches were able to successfully maintain both high sensitivity and specificity. A feature analysis of the model indicates that it is critical to consider both structural properties and properties of the drug target, with the target9s network connectivity and liver toxicity as two important features. The approach was further evaluated by testing the predictions of the trained model on an established independent dataset. We found that our method was able to significantly distinguish a representative set of bioavailable drugs from a representative set of toxic drugs (D = 0.2133, p Citation Format: Kaitlyn Gayvert, Neel Madukhar, Olivier Elemento. A “moneyball” approach to predicting clinical trial toxicity events. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 3916.
Vestibular Nuclei and Their Cerebellar Connections

The vestibular complex exists at a sensory-motor crossroad that is composed of five separate nuclei defined primarily by a common vestibular primary afferent projection. These five nuclei are located just beneath the dorsal surface of the medullary brainstem. They include: Descending, lateral, medial and superior nuclei (DVN, LVN, MVN and SVN) as well as the Parasolitary nucleus (Psol). Each vestibular nucleus can be recognized by a combination of boundaries that include fiber bundles and histological characteristics such as cell size. With the exception of Psol, a nucleus that is composed of small GABAergic cells (5–7 μm in diameter), the DVN, LVN, MVN and SVN contain a variety of cell types and cell sizes. Here we review the afferent and efferent connections of the vestibular nuclei and discuss how these characteristics might influence function.
Is Apple Losing Its Shine?: Concerns over worker safety in Chinese consumer electronics factories.

As the world's most valuable publicly traded firm, Apple Inc. has earned the respect and trust of many millions of customers for its well-engineered products. But an accident in 2012 revealed that Chinese workers in factories that make Apple products may be paying a price in the form of hazardous working conditions, and Apple's heavy reliance on the Chinese market for growth may have contributed to its recent decline in revenues.
Quantitative Evaluation of the Trade-Off of Strengthened Instruments and Sample Size in Observational Studies

AbstractWeak instruments produce causal inferences that are sensitive to small failures of the assumptions underlying an instrumental variable, so strong instruments are preferred. The possibility of strengthening an instrument at the price of a reduced sample size has been proposed in the statistical literature and used in the medical literature, but there has not been a theoretical study of the trade-off of instrument strength and sample size. This trade-off and related questions are examined using the Bahadur efficiency of a test or a sensitivity analysis. A moderate increase in instrument strength is worth more than an enormous increase in sample size. This is true with a flawless instrument, and the difference is more pronounced when allowance is made for small unmeasured biases in the instrument. A new method of strengthening an instrument is proposed: it discards half the sample to learn empirically where the instrument is strong, then discards part of the remaining half to avoid areas where the in...
Bright X-ray and up-conversion nanophosphors annealed using encapsulated sintering agents for bioimaging applications.

Nanophosphors are promising contrast agents for deep tissue optical imaging applications because they can be excited by X-ray or near infrared light through tissue without background interference. For these bioimaging applications, the nanophosphors should ideally be small, monodispersed and brightly luminescent. However, most methods used to improve luminescence yield by annealing the particles to reduce crystal and surface defects (e.g. using flux or sintering agents) also cause particle fusion or require multiple component core–shell structures. Here, we report a novel method to prepare bright, uniformly sized X-ray nanophosphors (Gd2O2S:Eu or Tb) and upconversion nanophosphors (Y2O2S:Yb/Er, or Yb/Tm) with large crystal domain size without causing aggregation. A core–shell nanoparticle is formed, with NaF only in the core. We observe that increasing the NaF sintering agent concentration up to 7.6 mol% increases both crystal domain size and luminescence intensity (up to 40% of commercial microphosphors) without affecting the physical particle diameter. Above 7.6 mol%, particle fusion is observed. The annealing is insensitive to the cation (Na+ or K+) but varies strongly with anion, with F− > Cl− > CO32− > Br− > I−. The luminescence depends strongly on crystal domain size. The data agree reasonably well with a simple domain surface quenching model, although the size-dependence suggests additional quenching mechanisms within small domains. The prepared bright nanophosphors were subsequently functionalized with PEG–folic acid to target MCF-7 breast cancer cells which overexpress folic acid receptors. Both X-ray and upconversion nanophosphors provided low background and bright luminescence which was imaged through 1 cm chicken breast tissue at a low dose of nanophosphors 200 μL (0.1 mg mL−1). We anticipate these highly monodispersed and bright X-ray and upconversion nanophosphors will have significant potential for tumor targeted imaging.
Targeted Screening and Improvement of the Medicinal Properties of Oregano and Rhodiola with Chitosan Oligosaccharide and Vitamin C Using in Vitro Assays for Hyperglycemia and Hypertension Linked to Type 2 Diabetes

ABSTRACTThe aim of this study was to improve antioxidant-linked bioactive properties in oregano and rhodiola, by combination with chitosan oligosaccharide (COS) or vitamin C. Phenolic antioxidant–linked functionalities of these herbs in combination with COS or vitamin C were evaluated using in vitro assays. Combinations of COS separately with each herb enhanced antioxidant activity (3–7%), while combination of vitamin C with oregano improved α-glucosidase enzyme inhibition (1–10%) associated with type 2 diabetes. The improvement of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition in both herbs was confirmed when combined separately with vitamin C (40–50%) and may be targeted against associated hypertension.
Novel thin/tunable gas diffusion electrodes with ultra-low catalyst loading for hydrogen evolution reactions in proton exchange membrane electrolyzer cells

Abstract Proton exchange membrane electrolyzer cells (PEMECs) have received great attention for hydrogen/oxygen production due to their high efficiencies even at low-temperature operation. Because of the high cost of noble platinum-group metal (PGM) catalysts (Ir, Ru, Pt, etc.) that are widely used in water splitting, a PEMEC with low catalyst loadings and high catalyst utilizations is strongly desired for its wide commercialization. In this study, the ultrafast and multiscale hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) phenomena in an operating PEMEC is in-situ observed for the first time. The visualization results reveal that the HER and hydrogen bubble nucleation mainly occur on catalyst layers at the rim of the pores of the thin/tunable liquid/gas diffusion layers (TT-LGDLs). This indicates that the catalyst material of the conventional catalyst-coated membrane (CCM) that is located in the middle area of the LGDL pore is underutilized/inactive. Based on this discovery, a novel thin and tunable gas diffusion electrode (GDE) with a Pt catalyst thickness of 15 nm and a total thickness of about 25 µm has been proposed and developed by taking advantage of advanced micro/nano manufacturing. The novel thin GDEs are comprehensively characterized both ex-situ and in-situ, and exhibit excellent PEMEC performance. More importantly, they achieve catalyst mass activity of up to 58 times higher than conventional CCM at 1.6 V under the operating conditions of 80 °C and 1 atm. This study demonstrates a promising concept for PEMEC electrode development, and provides a direction of future catalyst designs and fabrications for electrochemical devices.
A Multiple-Phase-Shift Control for a SiC-Based EV Charger to Optimize the Light-Load Efficiency, Current Stress, and Power Quality

An ac/dc + dual-active-bridge (DAB) circuit was found as one solution for the high-efficiency and high-power-density electric vehicle charger. One control option is to let ac/dc part only convert the grid voltage to a double-line-frequency folded sine wave, yielding near-zero switching loss of the ac/dc part and leaving the DAB stage to control both power factor and power delivery. Such a zero-to-peak input voltage and wide-range output voltage can obstruct the zero-voltage switching (ZVS) for the DAB stage, which is a must for high-efficiency applications even with SiC devices. While the conventional single-phase shift loses ZVS at light load, and the variable-switching-frequency dual phase shift (DPS) creates the grid-current distortion at the light load, this paper employs multiple-phase-shifts (MPS) control, which essentially is a fixed-switching-frequency triple-phase-shift (TPS) control at light-load conditions and jumping to DPS at medium- and heavy-load conditions. While the TPS control will sacrifice the system efficiency by introducing the circulating current, a multiobjective optimization is employed to optimize the current stress and efficiency simultaneously, using the database of the double-pulse-test result. Experimental results on a SiC-based charger validated the effectiveness of the proposed control algorithm, that is: 1) high efficiency(>97%) at heavy load (7.2 kW); 2) smooth sinusoidal current without bumps at zero-crossing points from the whole-load range; and 3) the smooth transition between the heavy load and light load.
Full Field Imaging

Single snapshots or movies are common examples of full field imaging﻿ used to represent information across a field, at an instant﻿ or over time. Scientific imaging has taken advantage of this modality of data acquisition in order to map the properties of materials or processes in the environment. Examples﻿ include X-rays for mapping broken bones and MRI for detection of tumors, or radio assisted detection and ranging (RADAR) imaging for mapping cloud den﻿sity and precipitation in the atmosphere. This chapter provides a brief introduction to the applications o﻿f imaging for materials and environmental health monitoring. Applications discussed include imaging the intrinsic properties of subject of study,﻿ such as detection of subsurface corrosion, versus applications involving sensor molecules for extrinsic sensing, such as mapping transport of OH ions in concrete.
Le medie potenze: teoria e prassi in politica estera

This study by Marco Valigi is a systematic attempt to develop a theory of middle powers’ behavior in international politics. Valigi follows in the footsteps of Carsten Holbraad (1984) whose work wa...
Rate of isometric knee extension strength development and walking speed after stroke.

The relationship between lower-limb weakness and walking speed after stroke is not clear. This may be related to the measurement used to quantify weakness, typically peak strength. This study examined the relationship between two measures of isometric knee extension strength, i.e., peak torque and the rate of torque development and walking speed in adults with stroke. This study had 83 stroke survivors who participated. For the affected lower limb, rate and peak torque explained 12% of the variance in gait speed. Removing rate from the model significantly reduced the explained variance; in contrast, removing peak torque did not reduce the variance. For the less affected lower limb, rate tended to be more predictive of gait speed than peak torque. Diminished ability to rapidly generate knee extension torque contributes more to decreased walking speed after stroke than does maximal strength. Of note, 88% of the variance in gait speed is not explained by rate and peak isometric knee extension strength. Further studies are needed to determine if rehabilitation poststroke can increase the rate of knee strength development and if it results in faster walking speeds.
Existence of local solutions for fractional difference equations with Dirichlet boundary conditions

ABSTRACTFor 1<ν≤2 a real number and T≥2 a natural number, conditions are given for the existence of solutions of the νth-order Atici–Eloe fractional difference equation, Δνy(t)+f(t+ν−1,y(t+ν−1))=0,...
Opportunistic Mobile IoT with Blockchain Based Collaboration

The proliferation of Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices has opened up plethora of opportunities for smart networking and connected applications. The large distribution of IoT devices within a finite geographical area and the pervasiveness of wireless networking presents an opportunity for such devices to collaborate. This paper proposes the idea of opportunistic collaboration among mobile IoT devices to share their services and excess computing resources. Opportunistic collaboration among devices over wireless networking requires proper coordination and agreements among the devices in a purely distributed manner. To facilitate the distributive collaboration, we propose a decentralized architecture design using blockchain technology. Through experimental evaluation of a prototype collaborative mobile-IoT system involving RaspberryPis and a Dell IoT edge gateway, we show that our proposed distributed collaborative approach is feasible and comparable to a non-collaborative edge- computing approach from a latency perspective.
Spatial and gender inequality in the Kenya certificate of primary education examination results

Abstract Kenya's 8-4-4 system of education consists of 8 years of primary education, 4 years of secondary education, and 4 years of university education. The system was introduced in 1985 with the primary aim of better aligning Kenya's education system with its development aspirations. In particular, the system sought to reduce youth unemployment by offering them life skills training as well as technical and vocational skills. At the completion of 8 years of primary education, students take the national Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exam which tests students in five courses: English, Kiswahili, mathematics, science, and social studies and religious education (SSR). However, since the adoption of the 8-4-4 system, no comprehensive study of the spatial distribution of KCPE exam scores, especially by gender has been done. Thus, this study examines nationwide performance on the 2011 KCPE exam by gender using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and spatial statistics. Examination scores derived from approximately 17,217 public primary schools and 630,625 students were used in the study. Point pattern analysis was subsequently used to extract useful information from the dataset. A hot spot and cold spot analysis was then performed to see if unusual concentrations of scores exist in space in terms of overall performance, performance by gender, and individual subject scores. Our results show an existence of significant variability in terms of overall performance, performance by gender, and individual subject scores; with males outperforming females in mathematics, science, and SSR. Additionally, we found that proximity to major road networks and urban centers positively influences student performance on the KCPE exam probably because these factors influence the availability of educational resources (such as books and teachers), masterly of English (the language of instruction), teacher supervision, and child teachability.
Enhancing CS1 curriculum with testing concepts: a case study

Most Computer Science (CS) undergraduate programs offer one or two introductory programing courses, CS1 and CS2, intended to establish a solid foundation for the students' future study of the subject. The curriculum of the majority of these courses teaches specific programming languages without any introductory concepts of software testing. This results in students focusing on coding without regard for proper testing of all possible usage scenarios. We designed a controlled experiment to study the impact of learning testing concept at the early stage of a CS program. We observed the students' progress and found that on average students can program comparable projects 80% faster after learning and using the testing concept. Based on this finding, we plan to introduce basic testing concepts into such a CS1/CS2 course.
Ionization of Aqueous Mandelic Acid: Conductance and Thermodynamics

Molar conductances of dilute aqueous benzoic acid solutions are presented for temperatures from 5 to 80°C. The data have been analyzed to give acid dissociation constants as well as ΔH o, ΔS o, and ΔC p o for the ionization process and the limiting conductance of the benzoate ion. The conductance-viscosity product changes less than 4% over the temperature range, indicating that the interaction of the benzoate ion with the solvent changes little if at all with increasing temperature. The pK a(m) vs.T data show that ΔH o decreases quadratically while ΔC p o increases linearly withT although, over the 75°C range, ΔC p o increases only about 6 cal-mole−1 deg−1 around an average of −37 cal-mole−1deg−1. The acid dissociation constants as derived from the conductance-molal concentration analysis show an average uncertainty of about 0.1% and are fitted to within about 0.01% by the equation $$p{\text{K}}_{\text{a}} (m) = - 75.5422 + 3136.34/T + 28.7965 log T - 6.8139 {\text{x}} 10^{ - 3{\text{T}}} $$ whereT is the absolute temperature.
Control of velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti) at two heights with POST herbicides in Nebraska popcorn

Velvetleaf is an economically important weed in popcorn production fields in Nebraska. Many PRE herbicides in popcorn have limited residual activity or provide partial velvetleaf control. There are a limited number of herbicides applied POST in popcorn compared with field corn, necessitating the evaluation of POST herbicides for control of velvetleaf. The objectives of this study were to (1) evaluate the efficacy and crop safety of labeled POST herbicides for controlling velvetleaf that survived S-metolachlor/atrazine applied PRE and (2) determine the effect of velvetleaf height on POST herbicide efficacy, popcorn injury, and yield. Field experiments were conducted in 2018 and 2019 near Clay Center, Nebraska. The experiments were arranged in a split-plot design with four replications. The main plot treatments were velvetleaf height (≤15 cm and ≤30 cm) and subplot treatments included a no-POST herbicide control, and 11 POST herbicide programs. Fluthiacet-methyl, fluthiacet-methyl/mesotrione, carfentrazone-ethyl, dicamba, and dicamba/diflufenzopyr provided greater than 96% velvetleaf control 28 d after treatment (DAT), reduced velvetleaf density to fewer than 7 plants m−2, achieved 99% to 100% biomass reduction, and had no effect on popcorn yield. Herbicide programs tested in this study provided greater than 98% control of velvetleaf 28 DAT in 2019. Most POST herbicide programs in this study provided greater than 90% control of up to 15 cm and up to 30 cm velvetleaf and no differences between velvetleaf heights in density, biomass reduction, or popcorn yield were observed, except with topramezone and nicosulfuron/mesotrione 28 DAT in 2018. On the basis of contrast analysis, herbicide programs with fluthiacet-methyl or dicamba provided better control than herbicide programs without them at 28 DAT in 2018. It is concluded that POST herbicides are available for control of velvetleaf up to 30-cm tall in popcorn production fields.
Si-Doped Fe Catalyst for Ammonia Synthesis at Dramatically Decreased Pressures and Temperatures

The Haber–Bosch (HB) process combining nitrogen (N2) and hydrogen (H2) into ammonia (NH3) gas plays an essential role in the synthesis of fertilizers for food production and many other commodities....
Correlates of Physical Activity, Psychosocial Factors, and Home Environment Exposure among U.S. Adolescents: Insights for Cancer Risk Reduction from the FLASHE Study.

Background and aims: Physical activity (PA) can bring numerous health benefits to adolescents and can largely aid in reducing the various types of cancer risks in their lifespans. However, few adolescents meet the physical activity guidelines recommended by the National Cancer Institute in the United States. Our study aimed to examine the multilevel determinants potentially influencing adolescent’s PA participation. Methods: A secondary analysis of physical activity, home and school neighborhood, and other psychosocial data from 1504 dyads of adolescents and their parents who participated in the 2014 Family Life, Activity, Sun, Health, and Eating (FLASHE) study was performed. Analysis of variance and general linear model analyses were used to examine the correlates. Results: General linear modeling revealed that younger adolescents participated in greater levels of PA than older adolescents (p < 0.001). Adolescents whose parents reported meeting PA guidelines participated in greater amounts of PA (p < 0.001). Parental support of adolescent PA (p < 0.001) was also predictive of adolescent PA levels. Furthermore, parents who reported meeting moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) guidelines were more likely to have teenagers that engaged in higher amounts of PA (p < 0.001). Discussion and Conclusions: Our findings imply a dynamic relationship between adolescent and parent MVPA levels. Interventions focused on increasing parental MVPA and encouraging parents to engage in promoting PA are merited in order to aid in increasing PA among adolescents while reducing the cancer risk.
Bicarbonate activates glycolysis and lactate production in corneal endothelial cells by increased pHi

Abstract Recent studies have shown that lactate coupled water flux is the underlying mechanism of the corneal endothelial pump, which is highly dependent on the presence of bicarbonate. In this study we test the hypothesis that the increased intracellular pH (pHi) caused by bicarbonate stimulates glycolytic activity and the production of lactate by endothelial cells. Primary cultures of bovine corneal endothelial cells (BCEC) were incubated in bicarbonate-free (BF) ringer, a high [HEPES] ringer, and bicarbonate-rich (BR) ringer all at pH 7.5. Lactate production and glucose consumption were greatest in BR>HEPES >BF. Similarly, pHi was greatest in BR>HEPES>BF. Increasing pHi with NH4Cl also increased lactate production in BF or BR, indicating that the increased lactate production in BR is not due to HCO3− itself. Glucose transport capacity, as measured by 2-N-(7-Nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazol-4-yl)Amino-2-Deoxyglucose (2-NBDG) uptake was unaffected by the three incubation conditions. Using Laconic, a FRET sensor for lactate, we found that intracellular [lactate] increased immediately and transiently when cells were switched from BF to BR perfusion indicating increased lactate production with subsequent matching of efflux. Moreover, induction of acute lactate influx by perfusion pulses of 10 mM lactate increased intracellular [lactate] significantly faster in BF than in BR, consistent with higher lactate production and efflux in BR. In summary, our results indicate that glycolytic flux and lactate production increase in BR due to increased pHi, consistent with the well-known pH sensitivity of phosphofructokinase, the rate limiting enzyme in glycolysis.
Vista: Spatial Data Representation for Smart Buildings

With the increasing prevalence and power of building IoT sensors and devices, there is a growing need for intuitive, accessible, and meaningful data visualization tools that are specific and tailored for building IoT. Existing tools that incorporate spatial contextualization are insulated to specific applications with predefined visualization goals. We present Vista, a front end tool, that presents dynamic data visualizations of building IoT data on an interface that allows for context and deeper evaluation of information. This framework proposes a method to transform any static building floor plan into a dynamic one with which one can create unique and intuitive data representations tailored to their own objectives. The modular design of this tool enables an authoring system flexible to heterogeneous data by separating the visual elements of the floor plan and the relevant data, enabling diverse visual presentations of various types of IoT information and inputs.
Conducting a physical inventory of McIntyre Organics: Bringing real-life experiences to the classroom

Abstract Staff auditors often complete physical inventory observations during their initial years in public accounting. Because of the “hands-on” nature of these procedures, it can be difficult to illustrate these concepts in traditional classroom settings. We developed an interactive case that can be easily implemented in undergraduate or graduate auditing classes, and it can be easily adapted for face-to-face and online courses. You evaluate risks related to inventory and identify factors associated with selecting inventory locations for testing. You also analyze the relationship among financial statement assertions, potential misstatements, and audit tests. Finally, you apply audit procedures on a company's physical inventory and evaluate the results of auditing a company's physical inventory. This case illustrates material included on the CPA exam and tasks that are often assigned to auditors during their initial years as public accountants.