cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Statistics of shallow convection on Mars based on large-eddy simulations. Part 2: effects of wind shear

Effects of wind on quasi-steady, shallow convection in the Martian boundary layer are studied using a large-eddy simulation model. Convection in the model is generated by the radiative flux divergence and the strength of the surface heat flux, which do not vary in time. The resulting convective boundary layer exhibits transient, irregular, horizontal cellular structures, transported by wind, and a lack of well-pronounced regular horizontal rolls, observed for analogous conditions on Earth. The dimensionless statistics of turbulence are generally similar to those generated in the windless conditions, and depend on the ratio F, defined in terms of the integrated radiative and turbulent heating rates in the boundary layer. The simulations show that variations of the radiative heating influence the temperature statistics, while their effects on the wind velocity are relatively small. The horizontal velocity variances do not show a strong dependence on parameter F, in contrast with the vertical velocity variances, which are strongly dependent on F.
The dipsogenic potency of peripheral angiotensin II

Abstract The effective intravenous dose of angiotensin II for the induction of drinking in the rat has been reduced to a physiologically reasonable level of approximately 10 ng/min/rat or 25 ng/min/kg. It can be as low as 4 ng/min/rat when the natural state of thirst is more closely simulated with concurrent cellular dehydration. These doses are not different from those employed intravenously in the intact mammal to produce the hormone's pressor response. In addition: (i) the drinking produced by the hormone occurs sooner and more reliably and is greater in volume when the hormone is combined with mild cellular dehydration, and (ii) the drinking is blocked by a specific competitive inhibitor of angiotensin II, but (iii) is not affected by diurnal cycle. The evidence supports the suggestion that angiotensin II is a normal participant in drinking provoked by hypovolemia.
Separation of refractory particles in flame guniting of the linings of oxygen converters

It is theoretically shown that in flame guniting there are always maxima in the deposition of the Gunite. The maxima become flatter as the converter diameter increases or as the position of the nozzle is changed. By varying the angle of inclination of the nozzle or the distance between the nozzle and the lining, we can increase or decrease the area of the deposited Gunite.
Processing and alloying effects on tensile and impact properties of FeAl alloys

Abstract Two series of iron aluminide alloys [Fe-36–38Al (at.%)] were produced by ingot metallurgy or powder metallurgy methods, to examine the effects of processing and of slight changes in chemical composition on the microstructure and mechanical properties. For the first series of alloys, the powder metallurgy materials developed a very fine grain size when extruded at 950 or 1000°C, much finer than the initial powder particle size. Extrusion at 1100°C resulted in a coarser grain size. The fine-grained powder alloys showed excellent strength and ductility, and high levels of energy absorption in impact tests. The high levels of energy absorption were caused by extensive crack deflection along the remnant oxide layers from the prior particle boundaries; these boundaries had been elongated and oriented perpendicular to the notch by the extrusion process. The coarse-grained material, which had larger, more isolated oxide particles, had slightly lower ductility, but had much poorer impact properties, with no crack deflection. Ingot metallurgy alloys of similar composition, extruded at 900°C, had lower strength and ductility than the powder materials. The addition of boron (0.021 at.%) resulted in a change of fracture mode in the impact tests from intergranular to transgranular, which significantly increased the energy absorption. A second series of cast FeAl alloys examined the effect of changes in the levels of Zr, C, and B, as compared to the first series of alloys. Increases in the Zr and C resulted in increases in the strength and slight decreases in the ductility. Numerous flaws, apparently created during machining of the cast material, were observed on the surfaces of the impact specimens, which still showed some energy absorption when tested. Different fracture modes, including cleavage, intergranular, and ductile tearing, were observed on the fracture surfaces of various impact specimens.
Performance management theory: A look from the performer's perspective with implications for HRD

Abstract Performance management methods are receiving increased attention as organizations seek performance gains from their workforces during challenging economic times. In this paper, the construct of performance management is challenged along two lines: how applied models do not take full advantage of existing theories of work motivation; and how the impact of performance management will continue to be constrained as long it remains a predominantly top-down process. Several relevant theories of motivation are examined to illustrate gaps between theory and practice and to provide a basis for looking at performance management from the performer's perspective. Resulting implications for the human resource development (HRD) field are discussed.
The mechanism of sensitization of austenitic stainless steel

Abstract The chromium concentration along grain boundaries of sensitized austenitic 308 stainless steel was measured as a function of sensitizing treatment. The results were compared to values of chromium depletion calculated from several theoretical models. In general, the agreement was poor. This is attributed to the incorrect values calculated for the activity coefficient of chromium, γ Cr . If empirical values of γ Cr are employed, good agreement is obtained between the calculated and measured values of chromium depletion. The measured values of chromium concentration along the grain boundaries were combined with observations from transmission electron microscopy of intergranular carbide precipitation. It is concluded that (1) the rate-determining step in the sensitization of any single grain boundary is the precipitation of a critical density of carbides; (2) severe sensitization is achieved with only a very small amount (0.008 wt%) of carbon forming carbide; (3) although theoretically de-sensitization begins as soon as precipitation of M 23 C 6 starts, significant de-sensitization does not occur until after very long aging times have elapsed; (4) in addition to increasing the chromium content in the matrix at the carbide-matrix interface, high chromium contents in the alloy increase the resistance to sensitization by requiring a smaller intercarbide spacing to insure continuous chromium depleted zones; (5) the maximum degree of sensitization is controlled by the maximum intercarbide spacing.
Interferon retinopathy secondary to treatment for malignant melanoma

Abstract Interferons are a group of proteins that exhibit immunoregulatory and antiviral properties. Interferon alpha is now being commercially produced via recombinant DNA technology and has been indicated in the treatment of a variety of conditions including hepatitis, hairy cell leukemia, and has shown antitumor activity in patients with melanoma. Treatment with interferon alpha is generally well tolerated, though certain side effects of continued treatment have been noted including anorexia, fever, fatigue, blood disorders, GI symptoms, and central nervous symptoms. One particular side effect, that of retinopathy, has received scattered reports in the literature. Signs including cotton wool spots, hemorrhages, and optic nerve fiber layer defects have been noted. The following report describes a patient undergoing interferon treatment, secondary to the removal of a malignant melanoma from her back and her subsequent development of retinopathy.
Unbiased and locally efficient estimation of genetic effect on quantitative trait in the presence of population admixture.

Summary Population admixture can be a confounding factor in genetic association studies. Family-based methods (Rabinowitz and Larid, 2000, Human Heredity 50, 211–223) have been proposed in both testing and estimation settings to adjust for this confounding, especially in case-only association studies. The family-based methods rely on conditioning on the observed parental genotypes or on the minimal sufficient statistic for the genetic model under the null hypothesis. In some cases, these methods do not capture all the available information due to the conditioning strategy being too stringent. General efficient methods to adjust for population admixture that use all the available information have been proposed (Rabinowitz, 2002, Journal of the American Statistical Association 92, 742–758). However these approaches may not be easy to implement in some situations. A previously developed easy-to-compute approach adjusts for admixture by adding supplemental covariates to linear models (Yang et al., 2000, Human Heredity 50, 227–233). Here is shown that this augmenting linear model with appropriate covariates strategy can be combined with the general efficient methods in Rabinowitz (2002) to provide computationally tractable and locally efficient adjustment. After deriving the optimal covariates, the adjusted analysis can be carried out using standard statistical software packages such as SAS or R. The proposed methods enjoy a local efficiency in a neighborhood of the true model. The simulation studies show that nontrivial efficiency gains can be obtained by using information not accessible to the methods that rely on conditioning on the minimal sufficient statistics. The approaches are illustrated through an analysis of the influence of apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype on plasma low-density lipoprotein (LDL) concentration in children.
The Effect of Several Topical Fluoride Agents on Artificial Lesion Formation

NH4F, Na2SnF6, and TiF 4 were applied to human molars before in vitro lesion formation. Polarized light microscopy was used to evaluate the lesions formed; it showed that only the TiF4 treatment resulted in a reduction in lesion size when compared to APF test halves.
Vitamin B-12 and Perinatal Health

Vitamin B-12 deficiency (<148 pmol/L) is associated with adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes, including developmental anomalies, spontaneous abortions, preeclampsia, and low birth weight (<2500 g). The importance of adequate vitamin B-12 status periconceptionally and during pregnancy cannot be overemphasized, given its fundamental role in neural myelination, brain development, and growth. Infants born to vitamin B-12-deficient women may be at increased risk of neural tube closure defects, and maternal vitamin B-12 insufficiency (<200 pmol/L) can impair infant growth, psychomotor function, and brain development, which may be irreversible. However, the underlying causal mechanisms are unknown. This review was conducted to examine the evidence that links maternal vitamin B-12 status and perinatal outcomes. Despite the high prevalence of vitamin B-12 deficiency and associated risk of pregnancy complications, few prospective studies and, to our knowledge, only 1 randomized trial have examined the effects of vitamin B-12 supplementation during pregnancy. The role of vitamin B-12 in the etiology of adverse perinatal outcomes needs to be elucidated to inform public health interventions.
Isolation of PDX2, a Second Novel Gene in the Pyridoxine Biosynthesis Pathway of Eukaryotes, Archaebacteria, and a Subset of Eubacteria

In this paper we describe the isolation of a second gene in the newly identified pyridoxine biosynthesis pathway of archaebacteria, some eubacteria, fungi, and plants. Although pyridoxine biosynthesis has been thoroughly examined in Escherichia coli, recent characterization of the Cercospora nicotianae biosynthesis gene PDX1 led to the discovery that most organisms contain a pyridoxine synthesis gene not found in E. coli. PDX2 was isolated by a degenerate primer strategy based on conserved sequences of a gene specific to PDX1containing organisms. The role of PDX2 in pyridoxine biosynthesis was confirmed by complementation of two C. nicotianae pyridoxine auxotrophs not mutant in PDX1. Also, targeted gene replacement of PDX2 in C. nicotianae results in pyridoxine auxotrophy. Comparable to PDX1, PDX2 homologues are not found in any of the organisms with homologues to the E. coli pyridoxine genes, but are found in the same archaebacteria, eubacteria, fungi, and plants that contain PDX1 homologues. PDX2 proteins are less well conserved than their PDX1 counterparts but contain several protein motifs that are conserved throughout all PDX2 proteins. Recent work in our laboratory with the filamentous, phytopathogenic fungus Cercospora nicotianae revealed that a highly conserved group of gene homologues found in eubacteria, archaebacteria, fungi, and plants play a role in a divergent pyr
THE EFFECT OF LSD ON THE SLEEP CYCLE OF THE CAT.

Abstract 1. 1. LSD in doses of 20 and 2 μg/kg interfered with sleep generally and reduced LVFS selectively in eight cats with chronically implanted electrodes. 2. 2. The mechanism of the effect of this agent was not specifically elucidated; but it opposed whatever mechanisms underlies SWS, and more clearly antagonized the system mediating LVFS. 3. 3. An incidental finding was a progressive and marked increase in LVFS on successive days of an induced rest-activity cycle. Adaptation, fatigue, and/or sleep deprivation per se may have contributed to this phenomenon.
Representation and problem solving with Distribution Envelope Determination (DEnv)

Distribution Envelope Determination (DEnv) is a method for computing the CDFs of random variables whose samples are a function of samples of other random variable(s), termed inputs. DEnv computes envelopes around these CDFs when there is uncertainty about the precise form of the probability distribution describing any input. For example, inputs whose distribution functions have means and variances known only to within intervals can be handled. More generally, inputs can be handled if the set of all plausible cumulative distributions describing each input can be enclosed between left and right envelopes. Results will typically be in the form of envelopes when inputs are envelopes, when the dependency relationship of the inputs is unspecified, or both. For example in the case of specific input distribution functions with unspecified dependency relationships, each of the infinite number of possible dependency relationships would imply some specific output distribution, and the set of all such output distributions can be bounded with envelopes. The DEnv algorithm is a way to obtain the bounding envelopes. DEnv is implemented in a tool which is used to solve problems from a benchmark set.
Mappings between probabilistic boolean networks

Probabilistic Boolean Networks (PBNs) comprise a graphical model based on uncertain rule-based dependencies between nodes and have been proposed as a model for genetic regulatory networks. As with any algebraic structure, the characterization of important mappings between PBNs is critical for both theory and application. This paper treats the construction of mappings to alter PBN structure while at the same time maintaining consistency with the original probability structure. It considers projections onto sub-networks, adjunctions of new nodes, resolution reduction mappings formed by merging nodes, and morphological mappings on the graph structure of the PBN. It places PBNs in the framework of many-sorted algebras and in that context defines homomorphisms between PBNs.
Pediatric Epstein-Barr Virus Carriers With or Without Tonsillar Enlargement May Substantially Contribute to Spreading of the Virus

BACKGROUND: Human-to-human transmission of the persistent infection establishing Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) occurs via saliva. Tonsils act as important portal of entry and exit of EBV. The contagiousness of pediatric EBV carriers and the role played by tonsillar enlargement (TE) are not known. METHODS: We compared EBV shedding in mouthwash samples from pediatric EBV carriers with or without TE to that in mouthwash samples from pediatric patients with infectious mononucleosis (IM), the symptomatic form of primary infection if delayed after the age of 5 years. EBV DNA was quantified by polymerase chain reaction, and contagiousness was assessed using the cord lymphocyte transformation assay. RESULTS: EBV carriers with TE shed EBV DNA at an almost similar frequency (although in lower amounts) as pediatric patients with acute IM but more frequently (P <.001) and in higher amounts (P = .038) than EBV carriers without TE. EBV DNA levels in mouthwash samples from EBV carriers with TE mirrored levels in tonsils and gradually declined after tonsillectomy. Almost half of the mouthwash samples from pediatric EBV carriers contained infectious EBV. CONCLUSIONS: Pediatric EBV carriers--in particular, those with TE-may considerably contribute to the spreading of EBV in industrialized countries.
Associating larvae and adults of Chinese Hydropsychidae caddisflies (Insecta:Trichoptera) using DNA sequences

AbstractThe utility of hydropsychid (Trichoptera:Hydropsychidae) caddisfly larvae for freshwater biomonitoring has been demonstrated, but the major impediment to its implementation has been the lack of species-level larval descriptions and illustrations. A rapid and reliable molecular protocol that also uses morphology is proposed because conventional approaches to associating undescribed larvae with adults have been slow and problematic. Male adults were identified before DNA sequence analyses were used. These identifications established morphospecies boundaries that were mapped on phylograms constructed from 2 independent gene fragments: mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and large subunit (28S) nuclear ribosomal DNA expansion fragment D2 (D2). Species boundaries were confirmed if they were monophyletic on both molecular phylograms. Larval associations were made with reference to the phylogenetic analyses under 2 criteria: sequence identity across both genes or nested placement within a ...
Fuel Loads and Simulated Fire Behavior in "Old-Stage" Beetle-Infested Ponderosa Pine of the Colorado Plateau

Recent bark beetle outbreaks in western North America have led to concerns regarding changes in fuel profiles and associated changes in fire behavior. Data are lacking for a range of infestation severities and time since outbreak, especially for relatively arid cover types. We surveyed fuel loads and simulated fire behavior for ponderosa pine stands of the Colorado Plateau 15‐20 years after bark beetle infestation (i.e., “old-stage”). Increasing infestation severity resulted in reduced canopy bulk density, canopy base height, canopy cover, and litter loads whereas woody fuel loads were increased, especially among larger size classes. Using the Fire and Fuels Extension of the Forest Vegetation Simulator, torching index was predicted to decrease with infestation severity whereas crowning index was predicted to increase. Under modeled severe weather conditions, increasing infestation severity was predicted to shift the predominant fire type from surface fire to passive crown fire, whereas the probability of active crown fire was not significantly influenced by old-stage bark beetle-caused tree mortality. We also estimated snagfall rates of infested trees and found that the median time from infestation to snagfall was 9‐12 years, with larger trees taking longer to fall.
Blood carbonic anhydrase activity in anemia, with a note on polycythemia vera.

Measurements of blood carbonic anhydrase activity were made in patients with a variety of blood dyscrasias, using a new method. In patients with anemia due to loss of blood, infection and uremia, and in most of those with anemia associated with liver disease and leukemia, a constant relation was found between blood carbonic anhydrase activity and the hematocrit; the same holds in polycythemia vera. In patients with pernicious anemia, and in some with "refractory" anemia, and anemias associated with hepatic disease and with myelogenous leukemia, blood carbonic anhydrase activity was in or near the normal range in spite of lowered hematocrit values. The possible relation between these differences among anemias and the tolerance of patients with various anemias to exercise is discussed.
Emotion regulation changes the duration of the BOLD response to emotional stimuli

Emotion regulation theories posit that strategies like reappraisal should impact both the intensity and duration of emotional responses. However, research on reappraisal to date has examined almost exclusively its effect on the intensity of responses while failing to examine its effect on the duration of responses. To address this, we used inverse logit functions to estimate the height and duration of hemodynamic responses to negative pictures when individuals with recent life stress were instructed to use reappraisal either to decrease their negative emotion or to increase their positive emotion (relative to unregulated viewing of negative pictures). Several emotion-generative regions such as the amygdala, thalamus and midbrain exhibited decreases in duration of activation, even when controlling for differences in height of activation. In addition, whereas the amygdala exhibited both decreased activation height and duration when participants reappraised to decrease their negative emotion, it only exhibited decreased duration when participants reappraised to increase their positive emotion. These results indicate that emotion regulation alters the temporal dynamics of emotional responding and that models of reappraisal should accommodate whether reappraisal influences the height of activation, duration of activation or both, which may change based on the goal of the reappraisal strategy being used.
Approaches to stream solute load estimation for solutes with varying dynamics from five diverse small watersheds

Estimating streamwater solute loads is a central objective of many water-quality monitoring and research studies, as loads are used to compare with atmospheric inputs, to infer biogeochemical processes, and to assess whether water quality is improving or degrading. In this study, we evaluate loads and associated errors to determine the best load estimation technique among three methods (a period-weighted approach, the regression-model method, and the composite method) based on a solute's concentration dynamics and sampling frequency. We evaluated a broad range of varying concentration dynamics with stream flow and season using four dissolved solutes (sulfate, silica, nitrate, and dissolved organic carbon) at five diverse small watersheds (Sleepers River Research Watershed, VT; Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, NH; Biscuit Brook Watershed, NY; Panola Mountain Research Watershed, GA; and Rio Mameyes Watershed, PR) with fairly high-frequency sampling during a 10- to 11-yr period. Data sets with three different sampling frequencies were derived from the full data set at each site (weekly plus storm/snowmelt events, weekly, and monthly) and errors in loads were assessed for the study period, annually, and monthly. For solutes that had a moderate to strong concentration–discharge relation, the composite method performed best, unless the autocorrelation of the model residuals was <0.2, in which case the regression-model method was most appropriate. For solutes that had a nonexistent or weak concentration–discharge relation (model R2 < about 0.3), the period-weighted approach was most appropriate. The lowest errors in loads were achieved for solutes with the strongest concentration–discharge relations. Sample and regression model diagnostics could be used to approximate overall accuracies and annual precisions. For the period-weighed approach, errors were lower when the variance in concentrations was lower, the degree of autocorrelation in the concentrations was higher, and sampling frequency was higher. The period-weighted approach was most sensitive to sampling frequency. For the regression-model and composite methods, errors were lower when the variance in model residuals was lower. For the composite method, errors were lower when the autocorrelation in the residuals was higher. Guidelines to determine the best load estimation method based on solute concentration–discharge dynamics and diagnostics are presented, and should be applicable to other studies.
Speech Perception as a Perceptuo-Motor Skill

There is pervasive motor recruitment in perception and cognition, especially in speech perception and language comprehension. This reflects human adaptation to life in the econiche, which is pervasively perceptuo-motor in nature. Humans and other animals are adapted to that way of life. Evidence for effective motor recruitment during speech perception is reviewed in the context of a more general review of evidence for motor recruitment elsewhere in perception across the modalities as well as elsewhere in language itself. The findings regarding speech support two claims of the motor theory of speech perception (perception of speech gestures, facilitation of that by motor recruitment). However, findings of general motor recruitment in language comprehension and in nonlanguage perception and cognition make implausible the motor theory claim that, in these respects, speech perception is special.
From Hittite to Homer: The Anatolian Background of Ancient Greek Epic

This book provides a groundbreaking reassessment of the prehistory of Homeric epic. It argues that in the Early Iron Age bilingual poets transmitted to the Greeks a set of narrative traditions closely related to the one found at Bronze-Age Hattusa, the Hittite capital. Key drivers for Near Eastern influence on the developing Homeric tradition were the shared practices of supralocal festivals and venerating divinized ancestors, and a shared interest in creating narratives about a legendary past using a few specific storylines: theogonies, genealogies connecting local polities, long-distance travel, destruction of a famous city because it refuses to release captives, and trying to overcome death when confronted with the loss of a dear companion. Professor Bachvarova concludes by providing a fresh explanation of the origins and significance of the Greco-Anatolian legend of Troy, thereby offering a new solution to the long-debated question of the historicity of the Trojan War.
Teaching the Whole Child: The Importance of Culturally Responsiveness, Community Engagement, and Character Development in High Achieving African American Students

Current research on African American education is saturated with studies on school failure (Collins 2003; Glasser 1969; Irvine 1990; Kozol 2005; MacLeod 1995; Neckerman 2007; Walker and Sprague 1999), rather than investigations that address the processes that mediate failure and create success (Bell 2001; Chenoweth 2007, 2009; Evans-Winters 2011; Hopkins 1997; King 2005; Perry et al. 2003; Wiggan 2008, 2014). Most of the existing research provides extensive critiques without exploring successful strategies that promote high-achievement among underserved student populations. Using a qualitative case study design, this research explores the perceptions and experiences of students and teachers at a high performing minority school. The findings reveal that the use of multicultural curriculum and anti-racism education had a positive impact on the social, cultural, and academic achievement of the students. The results of this study are particularly important given the existing research on African Americans and the critical needs in educational reform.
Small‐unit water purifiers for remote military outposts: A new application of multicriteria decision analysis

During the U.S. military's first 145 years, waterborne and other infectious diseases caused more casualties than battlefield injuries, underscoring the importance of clean drinking water to military success. Ensuring drinking water safety poses special challenges to the U.S. Army Special Operations Forces, because treatment equipment used in the conventional Army is too heavy and operationally complex to deploy to remote outposts. Due to the lack of purpose-built water purifiers, Special Forces often rely on commercial-off-the-shelf systems, but guidelines on selecting optimal systems for specific deployment contexts are lacking. To fill this gap, this research examines whether multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) can provide an operational framework for selecting water purifiers for Special Forces. Our objectives are to apply MCDA to help an officer preparing for village stability operations in Afghanistan select a water purifier and to assess whether other Army stakeholders agree with the officer's choice. In addition, because previous research has suggested that alternative MCDA methods can yield different rankings of decision alternatives, we test whether the MCDA method used is as important as who conducts the ranking. Toward these objectives, we use 4 MCDA approaches for eliciting preferences among 4 water purifiers from the deploying officer and 6 other Army stakeholders. The results show that regardless of method, the officer and 5 of the 6 stakeholders identified the same preferred alternative, although rankings for the less preferred water purifiers varied by method (intermethod rank-order correlation = .57). In responses to survey questions, stakeholders indicated that they would support using the results to support decisions about water purifier acquisition (average support = 5.3 on a 0–6 Likert scale with 6 indicating strongest support).
The role of topographic variability in river channel classification

To date, subreach-scale variations in flow width and bed elevation have rarely been included in channel classifications. Variability in topographic features of rivers, however, in conjunction with ...
Sensor/RF digitization for IoT-applications using all-digital-very-scalable-ADC TAD

As sensor and RF digitization for IoT-applications, this paper presents a concept of the digitization based on the all-digital-ADC TAD (Time A/D converter) as a both scalable and durable analog-interface using all-digital time-domain processing. TAD consists of all-digital circuits such as a Fin-supply-controlled ring-shaped pulse-delay-line (RDL) with 32 (in 0.65μm-CMOS), 64 (0.18μm-CMOS) or 128 (40nm-CMOS) inverters along with pure logic circuits (latch, encoder, counter and subtractor). Thanks to the all-digital construction, mixed-signal IC-design tradeoffs can be avoided and solved along even with advanced technologies. As sensor digitization examples, actual automotive sensors are explained including gyro-sensor implementation, which is one of the most difficult sensor digitization examples. Then, due to the all-digital architecture, scaling effects of TAD for RF-digitization are described including 40nm-CMOS simulation results (6mV/LSB at IGS/s, 0.9mW and 0.014mm2). Finally, TAD methods, potentials and non-idealities are discussed with all-digital implementation even using FinFET technologies for future high-performance mixed-signal ASlCs/SoCs.
The prevalence and impacts of crisis pregnancy center visits among a population of pregnant women.

Abstract Objectives Investigations into Crisis Pregnancy Centers (CPCs) have documented the provision of deceptive information about abortion, but it is unclear how many pregnant women actually visit CPCs and what impact visits have on their pregnancy decision-making. Study design We conducted a mixed-methods study. We surveyed patients at one of two local abortion clinics and three prenatal clinics in Southern Louisiana about whether they had visited a CPC for this pregnancy and conducted in-depth interviews with prenatal patients who reported a CPC visit about their experience. Results We surveyed 114 abortion patients and 269 prenatal patients, and interviewed 12 prenatal patients about their CPC visit. Just 6% of abortion patients (n=7) and 5% of prenatal patients (n=14) visited a CPC for this pregnancy. Prenatal patients went to CPCs primarily for free pregnancy tests and reported receiving information about abortion from CPC staff that was inaccurate. They also generally recognized the CPC was antiabortion, ideologically Christian, and not a medical establishment. Only three had been considering abortion at the time of their visit and reported that the visit impacted their plan for the pregnancy. However, all three also faced additional barriers to abortion, including inability to find an abortion provider, difficulty securing funding, gestational limits, ambivalence about choosing abortion, and opposition to abortion from family members. Conclusions We do not find evidence that pregnant women regularly seek CPC services or that CPCs persuade women who are certain abortion is the right decision for them to continue their pregnancies. Implications Given little evidence that CPCs impact pregnant women's decision-making on a broad scale, future research should examine other aspects of CPCs, such as their role in the antiabortion movement and/or the impact of CPC visits on maternal health and birth outcomes among women who continue their pregnancies.
Mitigating market risk for wind power providers via financial risk exchange

Abstract When wind power producers (WPPs) participate in forward electricity markets, they become exposed to real-time (RT) market risks from uncertain generation outputs and highly volatile RT market prices. This joint volume-price risk causes a risk-averse WPP to sell less energy than the expected generation, which discourages the WPP from fully enjoying the benefits of participating in forward electricity markets. In order to mitigate volume-price risks from the RT market, this paper proposes a financial instrument referred to as a risk exchange (REX) that enables the WPPs to trade random net payments from uncertain prices and generation outputs, after the day-ahead market is cleared. A negotiation for the REX is modeled by a bargaining game based on a conflict of interest in determining the REX amounts. Both Nash and Rubinstein's bargaining game models are addressed to analyze the REX bargaining game. It is shown that there is a unique outcome of the game which can be achieved by using a pure strategy. Moreover, a central planner who aims to minimize the aggregated risks of the WPPs is explored. Numerical examples demonstrate that the REX is able to reduce RTM risks successfully and encourages the WPPs to sell more energy to the DAM. Since the REX is not limited by physical constraints in power systems, it can be traded by the WPPs exposed to different locational marginal prices (LMPs).
Managing water on heat transfer surfaces: A critical review of techniques to modify surface wettability for applications with condensation or evaporation

Abstract Most materials of practical interest are neither completely wetting nor completely non-wetting. “Surface wettability” then refers to the degree that a surface is hydrophilic (i.e. water-loving) or hydrophobic (i.e. water-fearing). Through careful design, it is possible to alter the natural wettability of a surface to be more water-loving or water-fearing. This is principally achieved by modifying the surface chemistry and/or surface roughness. In some cases, modifying the surface may bring operational benefit or advantage. For example, aluminum and copper (which are used in the construction of heat exchangers) tend to retain water in application, which can degrade performance. Modifying the surface however to be superhydrophilic can help to spread out the condensate, reduce the air-side pressure drop, and facilitate drainage. Moreover, by creating a wettability pattern or gradient, it is possible to predetermine the initiating sites for condensation on a surface as well as facilitate droplet motion and/or control the water droplet movement path. In the first part of this review, the current state of the art of surface wettability modification and control techniques are presented, which includes topographical manipulation, chemical modification, as well as methods for creating gradient surfaces and patterned wettability. In the second part of this review, possible applications and the potential impact of these methodologies in energy systems are discussed with a special focus on heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&R) systems and components.
Polarization Problems in Optical Fiber Gyroscopes

The importance of polarization control is becoming increasingly recognized in the development of optical fiber gyroscopes [1,2]. Optical gyroscopes depend essentially on the establishment of a single optical path (optical mode), whose length, measured optically in opposite directions, can be taken to indicate rotation rate. However, even a so-called single-mode optical fiber typically provides two optical modes (polarization states) which may couple to each other in a linear but otherwise unpredictable manner. If one of the two polarization states is not suppressed, then it becomes impossible to define (to the accuracy required) which optical path the two counterpropagating beams actually are taking, and therefore the drift stability of the gyro is compromised.
Conducting Polymers: Science and Technology

The concept of “doping” is the unifying theme which distinguishes a certain class of organic polymers — “conducting polymers” - from all others. Doping results in dramatic electronic and magnetic changes with a concomitant increase in conductivity to, or approaching, the metallic regime. Doping phenomena and the chief types of dopable organic polymers are described with particular emphasis on the effect of molecular conformation and crystallinity on conductivity as evidenced from “secondary doping” studies. Polyaniline has been commercialized on a relatively large scale and is the leading conducting polymer for technology. It shows considerable promise for electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding and is used in commercial rechargeable batteries. Leading potential technological applications utilize polyaniline film membranes for gas separations and polyphenylenevinylenes and polyparaphenylene as light-emitting diodes. Additional potential applications of conducting polymers such as electrochromic windows, chemical sensors, etc. are also described briefly.
Facial Expression and Affect Development

One of my principal aims in this chapter is to introduce a new way of looking at infants’ faces. The key to this approach is close observation and analysis of moment-to-moment changes in naturally occurring facial behavior, with an eye to discovering organized patterning both in the configuration of the facial features and in the timing and sequencing of facial movements. Beginning with a rich and fine-grained analysis of the infant’s facial behavior, we can distinguish potentially meaningful expressive movements from random facial actions; we can refine grossly defined descriptive categories; and we can be more precise in relating facial movements to the infant’s other behavioral responses and to particular stimulus situations. As a result, we can begin to specify more precisely the affective and communicative “meanings” of the infant’s facial movements, as well as changes in function and meaning with age.
Using molecular dynamics simulations to identify the key factors responsible for chiral recognition by an amino acid-based molecular micelle

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were used to investigate the binding of six chiral compounds to the amino acid-based molecular micelle (MM) poly-(sodium undecyl-(L)-leucine-leucine) or poly(SUL...
Ctrl-Alt-Del: GamerGate as a precursor to the rise of the alt-right:

Videogames and the gaming industry in the 21st-century generate more employment and revenue than either the professional music industry or the Hollywood film industry, making videogames both highly...
Sustainable scalable synthesis of sulfide nanocrystals at low cost with an ionic liquid sulfur precursor.

Increasing the sustainability of nanocrystals is crucial to their application and the protection of the environment. Sulfur precursors for their synthesis are commonly obtained through multiple steps from H2S, only to be converted back to H2S during the synthesis of the nanocrystals. This convoluted process requires energy, reduces yields, increases waste and auxiliaries, and complicates recycling. Using H2S directly could drastically improve sustainability, but is prevented by toxicity and handling. We here show that H2S is stabilized by reaction with oleylamine (the most common and versatile ligand in nanoparticle synthesis) to form an ionic liquid precursor that addresses all major principles of green chemistry: it is made in one exothermic step, it leaves the reaction yielding a safer product and allowing the separate recycling of the precursors, and it produces high quality nanocrystals with high yields (sulfur yield > 70%) and concentrations (90 g L−1) in ambient conditions. Developing sustainable and scalable nanocrystal syntheses is challenging but necessary for future technologies and the environment. Here, the authors show that using an ionic liquid to stabilize a highly reactive precursor can fulfill the major aims of sustainable nanocrystal synthesis, including high yields, energy efficiency, atom economy, and recyclability.
Small-signal Stability Analysis of Multiple Grid-connected Virtual Synchronous Generators

At present, the stability of virtual synchronous generator (VSG) is mainly studied in micro-grid or single grid-connected VSG, and the stability of multiple grid-connected VSGs still lacked the research. This paper builds the small signal models of multiple grid-connected VSGs, and the influence of VSG control parameters (active power droop coefficient, virtual inertia, etc.) on the characteristic roots and stability of the system are discussed. Besides, the stability difference between multiple grid-connected VSG and single VSG are compared. Finally, the correctness of small signal modeling and results analysis are verified by simulation. The results of this paper show that when the parameters of multiple VSG grid-connected systems are the same, the stability of multiple VSGs is basically the same as that of single VSG system, while the system oscillation mode may have a significant difference when there are some differences in VSG parameters.
“Other Conceptions, Both Powerful and Exotic”: School Choice Visions from Voices from the Political Left

For contrast, this chapter focuses on several school choice proposals from the 1960s and 1970s that were not motivated by market libertarianism. Theodore Sizer (1932–2009) favored markets in education from the belief that they’d enhance equity, preserve diversity, and keep schools under the control of those within them. John “Jack” Coons (1929–) and Stephen Sugarman (1942–) created a school choice plan they believed would fund education more equitably than existing public school plans. John Holt (1923–1985) favored school choice as a way to lessen the cultural grip of conventional schooling and open the way for alternative vehicles for education. In each of these plans, governments would have several roles beyond what market libertarians would assign.
Weighed Plate Waste Can Accurately Measure Children's Energy Consumption from Food in Quick-Service Restaurants.

BACKGROUND Quick-service restaurants (QSRs) serve one-third of US children on any given day, yet no methods can directly measure energy (kcal) consumed in QSRs. Weighed plate waste is one feasible option, but the accuracy is unknown. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to determine the accuracy of weighed plate waste for measuring children's energy consumption in QSRs. METHODS Children's plate waste (entrees and sides) was collected for a larger study assessing a community-wide health messaging campaign to inform parents' orders for children in QSRs; a subsample (n = 194) was used for validation. Gross energy left over estimated by weighed plate waste combined with restaurant-stated nutrition information was compared to gross energy determined by bomb calorimetry, the gold-standard energy assessment technique. Analyses were conducted at the meal level (all food items, combined) and stratified by the number of items per meal (1, 2, or 3). Pearson correlations and paired t tests analyzed agreement; Bland-Altman statistics examined differences between energy estimations for the total and stratified subsample. RESULTS Overall, significant agreement was observed between weighed plate waste and bomb calorimetry (r = 0.99, P 0.80), suggesting the accuracy of weighed plate waste for measuring meals of various sizes. CONCLUSIONS Weighed plate waste is an accurate and valid field technique for measuring children's energy consumption from food in QSRs. Future improvements to capturing beverages, self-serve condiments, and sharing behaviors may improve the overall feasibility and accuracy.
It Is mi(y) RNA

I love Einstein for his contribution to science and humanity. The story of general theory of relativity is an epic in itself. More so, on the lines of Ramayana and Mahabharata; with as many twists and turns. Conceivably, great ideas mean greater resistance and pressure from all sides. I get goosebumps when I read about Einstein’s’ contribution to modern day life. It does not stop at just E = mc2. His contributions are not limited to GPS, smart phones, and the numerous applications of the laser. I doubt if the modern-day physicians really have any appreciation for his contributions to medicine. All his revolutionary ideas were as a result of intense competition among his peers. An example of which was the 8 year long struggle to come up with the mathematical equation to support his theory that space is indeed curved. He had a tough competitor in the German mathematician David Hilbert. Though Hilbert also published his field equations in support of general relativity almost at the same time as Einstein, there was no animosity between these two individuals and Hilbert acknowledged the fact that it was Einstein’s theory. This is a result of great minds. Einstein’s theories set a new trend and in fact questioned 250-year-old Sir, Isaac Newton’s theory on gravity. It revolutionized physics at all levels. Biology has also had its share of new ideas and I am going to talk about one such thing and how it is slowly changing the fundamental concept of how the cell functions. I am careful in using the word ‘SLOWLY’ as even scientists have not realized the concept in its entirety. As I said earlier, ignorance is the greatest barricade for progress.
Promoting Social Inclusion in Educational Settings: Challenges and Opportunities.

The goal of this article is to provide a critical analysis of barriers to social inclusion and integration in schools and propose inclusive educational practices that help connect and unite diverse...