cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Full order EMF observer for PMSM — design, analysis and performance under improper speed signal

The paper focuses on the problem of rotor position estimation for the nonsalient permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) that is used as a generator in a windmill system. The paper presents the design and analysis of a Full Order EMF observer that is based on the PMSM model in the stationary reference frame. The inputs in the observer are the motor voltages and currents (which are measured) and the motor speed. The convergence of the observer is first analyzed assuming that the speed signal is available — it is shown how to design the feedback gains such that the observer is asymptotically stable. Second, the observer is analyzed under the assumption that the speed signal used is different from the real speed. This corresponds to the situation when a speed estimate would be used (instead of the real speed) in an attempt to obtain a sensorless observer. The PMSM is treated as a linear, time-varying system and the observer presented is analyzed using Lyapunov's stability theory. It is shown that, under correct speed, the observer converges. Under improper speed signal, the estimates have errors and the design gains do not influence these errors and cannot eliminate them. However, since the errors are relatively small, the method could be used in a sensorless drive if the estimated rotor position is corrected with a correction block. The theoretical findings are validated by simulations.
The impact of spousal loss on parent–child relations in later life: Are effects contingent upon the quality of the late marriage?

We use data from the Changing Lives of Older Couples (CLOC) to examine (1) the effect of late-life widowhood on parent–child relations at 6- and 18-month follow-ups; (2) the extent to which effects are conditional upon three qualities of the late marriage (positive and negative interactions, and emotional dependence); and (3) pathways linking marital quality to parent–child relations. We focus on three aspects of parent–child relationships: support, criticism and dependence. Widowed persons report significantly less criticism from and more dependence upon children than do married controls, although effects are conditional upon characteristics of the late marriage. Among the bereaved, marital warmth is associated with high levels of support from children post-loss, whereas marital strains are associated with less emotional support from and dependence on children. Widow(er)s who were highly dependent on their late spouse report lower levels of criticism from children. We discuss implications for bereavement...
Abstract 13004: Decreased Respiratory Variation of Hepatic Vein Doppler Predicts Major Clinical Outcomes in Fontan Patients

Introduction: Pulmonary blood flow in the Fontan circulation is dependent on respiratory effort due to the lack of a subpulmonic ventricle. Respiratory variation in hepatic vein (HV) flow measured by the Doppler has been described in Fontan patients as a surrogate of respiratory variation of pulmonary blood flow. Whether clinical outcomes are predicted by the degree of respiratory variation of the flow in Fontan patients is unknown. Hypothesis: Reduced respiratory variation in forward HV flow is associated with adverse clinical outcomes. Methods: We performed a retrospective review of 104 adult Fontan patients who had echocardiograms between 2004 and 2014. HV Doppler data included peak inspiratory and expiratory velocity time integral (VTI) of forward and retrograde flow during cardiac cycles in inspiration and expiration. The relationship between respiratory variation of HV Doppler measurements and major adverse events (death or transplantation) was examined using survival analysis. Results: 104 post-Fontan patients (73% systemic LV, 42% atriopulmonary (APC) Fontan, mean age 28.4 ± 7.6 years, mean time from Fontan 21.7 ± 5.4 years) were analyzed. The mean difference between inspiratory and expiratory HV forward VTI was 8.4 ± 2.2cm and percent difference of HV forward VTI 61.9 ± 26.3%. 16 patients (5 APC, 11 lateral-tunnel) had HV forward VTI percent difference ≥ 90%, suggesting an inspiration-dependent venous flow independent of Fontan type (p = 0.69). 20 major adverse events occurred: 12 deaths, 8 transplants. After adjusting for potential confounders including body surface area, reduced respiratory variation in forward VTI was significantly associated with events: Compared to the middle tertile of difference in HV forward flow between inspiration and expiration, the lowest tertile had an estimated hazard ratio of 18.0 [95% CI 1.65-195.5, p=0.018] for adverse events. Conclusions: Reduced respiratory variation in forward HV flow was predictive of death or transplantation in this cohort of Fontan patients. A subset (15%) had forward HV flow only during inspiration, independent of Fontan type. Additional studies are needed to establish further clinical significance and reproducibility of the HV Doppler parameters.
Traveling-wave photodetectors

The authors propose and analyze the traveling-wave photodetector (TWPD), an edge-coupled photodetector that is capable of both a larger absolute bandwidth and a larger bandwidth-efficiency product than the waveguide photodetector (WGPD). The intrinsic RC bandwidth limitation is increased in the traveling-wave photodetector by providing for controlled transmission of the electrical wave down the device in parallel with the optical wave and by eliminating bandwidth-limiting electrical reflections. It is shown that 1- mu m wide, parallel-plate, GaAs/AlGaAs, p-i-n TWPD with open-circuit input termination has a 26% greater potential bandwidth-efficiency product than the comparable WGPD, while a TWPD with matched input termination actually has a worse bandwidth-efficiency product than the WGPD. >
Multiple access interference cancellation in fading multipath channels: progress and limitations

Successive interference cancellation is a promising technique for increasing the capacity of uplink CDMA channels. Fundamental research has shown that in an AWGN channel, the technique can approach the Shannon capacity (see Viterbi, A.J., 1990). However, a multipath channel presents a difficult challenge for interference cancellation, as each multipath component separated by more than a chip time appears to the receiver as an independent user. Recent research has addressed this issue for a small number of paths. Here we show an approach using recently derived optimum power control (see Andrews, J. and Meng, T.H., 52nd IEEE Veh. Tech. Conference, vol.3, p.1211-15, 2000) that significantly increases the capacity over the previously published results for interference cancellation in multipath fading channels, while using only a single cancellation stage. However, simulations show that the capacity is inversely proportional to the number of multipath components. Thus, it appears that current work on interference cancellation can be successfully applied only to channels with a very limited number of multipath components.
IT Outsourcing Contracts and Performance Measurement

Companies that outsource information technology (IT) services usually focus on achieving multiple objectives. Correspondingly, outsourcing contracts typically specify a variety of metrics to measure and reward (or penalize) vendor performance. The specific types of performance metrics included in a contract strongly affect its incentive content and ultimately its outcome. One specific challenge is the measurement of performance when an outsourcing arrangement has a mix of objectives, some that are highly measurable and others that are not. Recent advances in contract theory suggest that the design of incentives for a given objective is affected by the characteristics of other objectives. However, there is little empirical work that demonstrates how relevant these “multitask” concerns are in real-world contracts. We apply contract theory to examine how objectives and incentives are related in IT outsourcing contracts that include multiple objectives with varying measurement costs. In our context, contracts generally share the objective of reducing IT costs but vary in the importance of increasing IT quality. We establish empirical results about performance measurement in IT outsourcing contracts that are consistent with recent theoretical propositions. We find that the use of strong direct incentives for a given measurable objective is negatively correlated with the presence of less measurable objectives in the contract. We show that outsourcing contracts that emphasize goals with high measurement costs employ more performance metrics than initiatives whose objectives have a lower measurement cost profile. Surprisingly, as the number of performance metrics increases, satisfactory outcomes decrease, which we explain within a multitask theory framework. Overall, our results provide empirical support for multitask principal-agent theory and important guidance in designing outsourcing contracts for complex IT services.
High dose rate brachytherapy in the management of lung transplant airway stenosis

Abstract Background Airway complications after lung transplantation remain a major cause of postoperative morbidity and mortality. Interventional bronchoscopic management continues to be the main modality in the management of these problems. Methods Four patients with airway stenoses after lung transplantation received high dose rate brachytherapy for management of recurrent stenosis. All 4 patients had been treated with various bronchoscopic interventions, including dilation and stenting, electrocautery ablation, and neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser therapy. High dose rate endobronchial brachytherapy was subsequently used in all 4 patients for management of recurrent airway obstruction. The radiation dose for all 4 patients was 3 Gy at a distance of 1 cm from the center of the catheter. Results All four patients have had routine follow-up after endobronchial brachytherapy treatments. Of the 4 patients, 2 treated with this modality showed a significant response to therapy in that the bronchus remained free of obstruction after treatment; 1 patient had partial improvement, and 1 patient failed to show significant improvement and expired from the sequelae of persistent airway obstruction. Conclusions Endobronchial brachytherapy can be an effective modality for managing recurrent stenoses caused by hyperplastic granulation tissue at the bronchial anastomosis. The optimal timing and ideal candidate for intraluminal radiation therapy for this problem remains a challenge and warrants further investigation.
The Impact of Drug Use on Perceptions of Credibility in Indigenous Outreach Workers

The authors conducted an investigation of perceptions of outreach worker credibility using the social network members (N = 20) of indigenous outreach workers in an HIV/AIDS prevention intervention. The network members included in the study received semistructured interviews following the program’s completion. Outreach workers who were not actively using illicit drugs were more likely to be described as credible than were those who were using drugs. In general, drug use negatively affected perceptions of credibility via damaged trust in the outreach worker’s relationship with his or her network member. Results indicate the complexity of using indigenous drug users as outreach workers, the potential negative perceptions concerning hypocritical behavior, and the need to evaluate social interventions from the standpoint of indirect participants.
Degradation Mechanisms in Rewritable N-Channel FAMOS Devices

Electrically rewritable n-channel FAMOS devices were fabricated with a floating polycrystalline silicon gate and an Al control gate. The Al gate is used to control injection of holes or electrons from the avalanching drain diffusion onto the floating gate. Charge retention by the floating gate and device degradation due to multiple write/erase cycling is discussed.
Structure and composition of vegetation along an elevational gradient in Puerto Rico.

Question: What are the composition, conservation status, and structural and environmental characteristics of eight mature tropical forest plant communities that occur along an elevational gradient. Location: Northeastern Puerto Rico. Methods: We quantified the species composition, diversity, conservation status, and ecological attributes of eight mature tropical forest plant communities in replicated plots located to sample representative components of important forest types occurring along an elevational gradient. A suite of environmental and vegetation characteristics were sampled at each plot and summarized to characterize communities and analyse trends along the elevational gradient. Results: The set of communities included 374 species; 92% were native, 14% endemic, and 4% critical elements (locally endangered) to the island. All communities, occurring within a wide range of patch sizes and degree of conservation protection, showed a high percentage of native species (> 89% per plot). The lowland moist forest communities, occurring within a matrix of urbanization, agriculture, and disturbance, had the highest degree of invasion by exotics. Community descriptions were nested within a variety of hierarchies to facilitate extrapolation of community characteristics to larger ecosystem units. Basal area, above-ground biomass, canopy heights, and mean species richness peaked at mid elevations. Conclusions: It is significant that all of these forest communities continue to be dominated by native species while existing in a matrix of human and natural disturbance, species invasion, and forest regeneration from widespread agriculture. The lowland moist and dry forest types represent a minority of the protected forested areas in Puerto Rico, serve as unique genetic reservoirs, and should be protected.
Description and search: metadata as infrastructure

The first and original use of metadata is for describing documents. XML, the Dublin Core and MARC library catalog records are examples. The name "metadata" (beyond or with data) and the popular definition "data about data" is based on this use. A second use of metadata is to form organizing structures by means of which documents can be arranged. These structures can be used both to search for individual documents and also to identify patterns within a population of documents. The second role of metadata involves an inversion of the relationship between document and metadata. These structures can be considered infrastructure.
Why We Do Not Yet Understand the Genetics of Affective Disorders

Reasonably good evidence exists for at least some types of affective disorders having a genetic component. Consequently, there are many recent reviews of the data supporting genetic hypotheses for the affective disorders.1–4 Since no remarkable new evidence has appeared in the last couple of years, those reviews still provide good summaries of the data. However, considerable debate occurs over the interpretation of these data, and new thoughts are developing in this area. In this chapter we shall briefly review the evidence needed for determining whether a genetic component exists, discuss the current data and analyses relative to mode(s) of inheritance for affective disorders, and finally discuss the types of data that are still required in order to resolve the uncertainties. The absence of these types of data and the difficulty in obtaining them explain, as we shall show, why we do not yet understand the genetics of affective disorders.
The development of molecular orientation during formation of cellulose film from viscose

The distribution of molecular orientation in cellophane and its correlation with processing conditions have been studied by means of optical retardation measurements. With thin sections of cellophane cut with a standard microtome edge views were obtained, and it was possible to measure optical retardation profiles of the sections. This yielded information about the variation of molecular orientation in different layers of the film. In lanes near the edge of the machine-cast sheet the machine direction orientation was higher than in center lanes. In layers near the surface, machine direction orientation was higher, and transverse direction orientation was lower than in center layers. Studies of shear induced orientation in viscose indicated that this did not persist long enough to contribute to the structure of cellophane. The distribution of molecular orientation in cellophane was explained in terms of the forces acting on the web during and after coagulation and regeneration. These include the viscous drag of the treatment baths, the internal friction as the viscose is drawn outside the extrusion die, the tendency of the film to shrink during its formation and drying, and the tentering action of machine rolls.
Liver fatty acid-binding protein is required for high rates of hepatic fatty acid oxidation but not for the action of PPAR-α in fasting mice

Liver fatty acid binding protein (L-FABP) has been proposed to limit the availability of long-chain fatty acids (LCFA) for oxidation and for peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPAR-alpha), a fatty acid binding transcription factor that determines the capacity of hepatic fatty acid oxidation. Here, we used L-FABP null mice to test this hypothesis. Under fasting conditions, this mutation reduced beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) plasma levels as well as BHB release and palmitic acid oxidation by isolated hepatocytes. However, the capacity for ketogenesis was not reduced: BHB plasma levels were restored by octanoate injection; BHB production and palmitic acid oxidation were normal in liver homogenates; and hepatic expression of key PPAR-alpha target (MCAD, mitochondrial HMG CoA synthase, ACO, CYP4A3) and other (CPT1, LCAD) genes of mitochondrial and extramitochondrial LCFA oxidation and ketogenesis remained at wild-type levels. During standard diet, mitochondrial HMG CoA synthase mRNA was selectively reduced in L-FABP null liver. These results suggest that under fasting conditions, hepatic L-FABP contributes to hepatic LCFA oxidation and ketogenesis by a nontranscriptional mechanism, whereas L-FABP can activate ketogenic gene expression in fed mice. Thus, the mechanisms whereby L-FABP affects fatty acid oxidation may vary with physiological condition.
Isolated heart transplantation for familial transthyretin (TTR) V122I cardiac amyloidosis

Transthyretin (TTR) cardiac amyloidosis is characterized by deposition of either mutant or wild type TTR amyloid protein in the myocardium ultimately leading to progressive cardiomyopathy and heart failure. The most common TTR gene mutation that leads to TTR cardiac amyloidosis is the valine-to-isoleucine substitution at position 122 (V122I or Ile122). Currently, the only definitive treatment suggested for mutant TTR cardiac amyloidosis is the combined or sequential liver-heart transplantation in eligible patients, since liver is the source of TTR production. Here, we report a case of heterozygous Val122L mutated TTR-related cardiac amyloidosis treated with isolated heart transplantation with no recurrence of amyloid in the cardiac allograft and no systemic abnormalities 5 years after heart transplantation. Abbreviations MMF mycophenolate mofetil NYHA New York Heart Association TTR transthyretin VE minute ventilation.
Convergence of Clinical Staff Ratings and Research Ratings to Assess Patients With Schizophrenia in Nursing Homes

Objective: A large number of older patients with serious mental illnesses, including schizophrenia, now reside in nursing homes or similar residences, yet little is known about assessments, services, or outcomes for these patients. The Minimum Data Set (MDS) is a mandatory assessment instrument for nursing care facilities, and although it has been well studied in the general nursing home population, little is known about its validity in assessing schizophrenia, which was the purpose of this study. Methods: A group of 77 patients with schizophrenia had been recruited as part of a longitudinal study and were evaluated after their referral to nursing homes. Researchers compared ratings from the MDS with ratings of cognition and symptoms using instruments previously validated for the assessment of serious mental illness. Results: The cognitive subscale of the MDS (MDS-COG) was not strongly correlated with the Mini-Mental State Examination and was generally uncorrelated with performance on neuropsychological tasks. Symptoms were underreported on the MDS and were not significantly associated with researchers’ ratings. Moreover, the ratings from the MDS, unlike the researchers’ ratings, were not predictive of functional status, revealing poor criterion validity. Conclusions: These findings suggest that the MDS is not a suitable rating instrument to evaluate the symptoms and functional characteristics of older patients with schizophrenia. Future work will be required to develop instruments that would allow nursing home staff to recognize and report symptoms, cognitive impairments, and functional characteristics of these patients, which are important first steps for improving treatment services. (Psychiatric Services 57: 838–843, 2006)
Desert shrub water relations with respect to soil characteristics and plant functional type

Summary 1. Soil characteristics influence plant communities in part through water relations. Hypothetically, finer textured soils in arid climates should be associated with more negative plant and soil water potentials during drought, greater resistance of xylem to cavitation, and shallower root systems than coarse soils. 2. These hypotheses were tested by comparing the water relations of Great Basin shrubs growing in sand versus loam soils. The eight study species (Chrysothamnus nauseosus, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus, Chrysothamnus parryi, Tetradymia glabrata, Atriplex canescens, Atriplex confertifolia, Grayia spinosa and Sarcobatus vermiculatus) varied in typical rooting depth and vegetative phenology. 3. Xylem pressures for a species were, on average, 1·1 MPa more negative in the loam versus the sand site, despite greater precipitation at the loam site. Root xylem at the loam site was, on average, 0·9 MPa more resistant to cavitation than at the sand site for the same species. There was a strong trend for shallower rooting depths at the loam versus the sand site. Within a species, roots were consistently more vulnerable to cavitation than stems, and experienced more cavitation during the growing season. 4. Over most of the summer there was much more cavitation at the loam site than at the sand site. More than 80% loss of xylem conductivity (PLC) was estimated in shallow roots of three species at the loam site by the end of July, with two of the three showing extensive leaf drop and branch mortality. Transpiration rate was negatively correlated with PLC, with a tendency for lower gas-exchange rates in loam versus sand. 5. At the sand site, cavitation resistance was negatively correlated with estimated rooting depth. Drought-deciduous species had the shallowest root systems and greatest resistance to cavitation. In contrast, two species with phreatophytic tendencies were summer-active and were the most vulnerable to cavitation. 6. The cavitation resistance of roots determines the minimum water potential permitting hydraulic contact with soil. Differences in cavitation resistance of roots between desert species may contribute to differences in sensitivity of gas exchange to soil drought, ability to perform hydraulic lift, and response to late summer rain pulses.
Krull dimension of factor rings of the enveloping algebra of a semi-simple Lie algebra

Let g be a semi-simple complex Lie algebra with enveloping algebra E/(g). It is shown that the Krull dimension of t/(g) is bounded above by dimg — r, where r is half the minimal dimension of a non-trivial G orbit in g* (G is the adjoint group of g).
Will Hypertension Performance Measures Used for Pay-for-Performance Programs Penalize Those Who Care for Medically Complex Patients?

Background— There is concern that performance measures, patient ratings of their care, and pay-for-performance programs may penalize healthcare providers of patients with multiple chronic coexisting conditions. We examined the impact of coexisting conditions on the quality of care for hypertension and patient perception of overall quality of their health care. Methods and Results— We classified 141 609 veterans with hypertension into 4 condition groups: those with hypertension-concordant (diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease, dyslipidemia) and/or -discordant (arthritis, depression, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) conditions or neither. We measured blood pressure control at the index visit, overall good quality of care for hypertension, including a follow-up interval, and patient ratings of satisfaction with their care. Associations between condition type and number of coexisting conditions on receipt of overall good quality of care were assessed with logistic regression. The relationship betwe...
Neural architectures for smart memories in analog VLSI

Some basic issues related to the engineering of smart memory systems for intelligent control are discussed. In particular, it is noted that neurally inspired architectures for MOS analog VLSI implementation of smart memories yield highly regular and dense designs with improved performance and low power consumption. These architectures use MOS transistors in the subthreshold region and current-mode circuits. The neural paradigm not only offers insight into the architectures, but also into the actual implementation details. The bidirectional associative memory, the simplest nonlinear two-layer neural network model with feedback, has been implemented on silicon and tested functionally. Associative recall rates of 100000 vectors/s have been obtained with power consumption of a few milliwatts. >
Serotonin and central nervous system fatigue: nutritional considerations

Fatigue from voluntary muscular effort is a complex phenomenon involving the central nervous system (CNS) and muscle. An understanding of the mechanisms within muscle that cause fatigue has led to the development of nutritional strategies to enhance performance. Until recently, little was known about CNS mechanisms of fatigue, even though the inability or unwillingness to generate and maintain central activation of muscle is the most likely explanation of fatigue for most people during normal daily activities. A possible role of nutrition in central fatigue is receiving more attention with the development of theories that provide a clue to its biological mechanisms. The focus is on the neurotransmitter serotonin [5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)] because of its role in depression, sensory perception, sleepiness, and mood. Nutritional strategies have been designed to alter the metabolism of brain 5-HT by affecting the availability of its amino acid precursor. Increases in brain 5-HT concentration and overall activity have been associated with increased physical and perhaps mental fatigue during endurance exercise. Carbohydrate (CHO) or branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) feedings may attenuate increases in 5-HT and improve performance. However, it is difficult to distinguish between the effects of CHO on the brain and those on the muscles themselves, and most studies involving BCAA show no performance benefits. It appears that important relations exist between brain 5-HT and central fatigue. Good theoretical rationale and data exist to support a beneficial role of CHO and BCAA on brain 5-HT and central fatigue, but the strength of evidence is presently weak.
Neural Correlates of Schizophrenia Negative Symptoms: Distinct Subtypes Impact Dissociable Brain Circuits

Background: The negative symptoms of schizophrenia include deficits in emotional expression and motivation. These deficits are stable over the course of illness a
The Community Context

Schools exist in communities that differ greatly in their characteristics. The images conjured up by the communities surrounding a school in the center of Newark, New Jersey, the college town of Storrs, Connecticut, or a rural community such as Farmington, California, should be sufficient to convince the reader that this community context will likely have great influence on what goes on within schools. It will largely determine the social composition of the studentry, have much to do with the kind of faculty that is recruited and retained, and the resources that are available or spent on education, among other things. In addition, a long history of research in criminology documents variations in crime rates among communities and strong associations between community characteristics and crime or victimization rates (Block, 1979; Harries, 1976; Pope, 1978; Quetelet, 1842/1969; Shaw & McKay, 1969). Block, for example, reports strong correlations at the census-tract level between log robbery rates and percentage black (.51), percentage high school graduates (-.54), percentage of families at 75% of the poverty level or below (.46), and percentage female-headed families (.53). Researchers in the human ecological tradition (Bordua, 1958; Chilton, 1964; Chilton & Dussich, 1974; Gordon, 1967; Lander, 1954; Shaw, 1929; Shaw & McKay, 1969; White, 1932; Wilkes, 1967) and social geographers (Hadden & Borgatta, 1965; Harries, 1976; Jonassen & Peres, 1960; Smith, 1973) have adduced incontrovertable evidence that delinquency rates vary in regular ways across social areas, and theorists (Kobrin, 1959; Kvaraceus & Miller, 1959; Mays, 1954; Miller, 1958; Shaw, 1929) have suggested some mechanisms through which these variations across social areas may come about. This tradition in social research has been neglected in recent years. For this reason, and because ecological community variables are regarded as important exogenous or control variables in the search for school characteristics related to disorder, a short description of the findings and perspectives of earlier researchers may be useful to many readers.
Optimal Stiffness/Damping for Dynamic Loading

This chapter presents a strategy for establishing the structural stiffness distribution which produces the desired deformation profile for a specified dynamic loading. We first describe how one generates the linear dynamic response of a multi-degree-of-freedoms system using modal superposition and illustrate its application for periodic and seismic excitation. Based on analytical solutions and simulation results, one can establish the contribution of the individual modes to the total response. Our findings indicate that the fundamental mode usually dominates the response, and therefore the deflection profile can be taken as the fundamental mode shape. Once this assumption is introduced, the remaining steps are essentially the same as for the static loading case except that now one needs to include damping. The final result consists of two distributions, one for stiffness and one for damping.
Theoretical study on synchronization of two exciters in a nonlinear vibrating system with multiple resonant types

This paper aims at studying theoretically synchronization of two exciters in a nonlinear vibrating system (NVS), in which the behavior of NVS is mainly reflected at nonlinear restoring forces of springs with piecewise linear characters. The differential motion equations of two rigid frames in the horizontal direction are combined into their relative motion equation. Based on the asymptotic method, the nonlinear stiffness of springs is linearized equivalently as a function of the amplitude of the relative motion. Using Lagrange’s equations, the differential motion equations of the total system are deduced. The criterion of synchronization for two exciters in the analytical form is derived, by the average method. According to the principle that the stable solution of the synchronous states corresponds to a minimum point of Hamilton’s average action amplitude of the system, the criterion of stability of the synchronous states is achieved analytically. States of the system versus the operating frequency under consideration of multiple resonant types are presented. For the synchronous vibrating machines with two rigid frames used in engineering, the condition of the minimum of excitation to foundation is discussed, as well as the ideal working regions of the vibrating machines.
Engineering Electron Transferring Proteins and their Assembly at Electronic Interfaces

Many key cell functions are accomplished through complicated system of enzymes and redox carrier molecules that control electron and proton transport. Although significant number of these enzymes has been structurally characterized, the actual mechanism of redox catalysis is not always understood. Therefore we have adopted a different approach to address the structure-function relationship of oxidoreductases: we aim to uncover the assembly instructions required for function using smaller, simpler, more robust model proteins, maquettes. Our questions ask how many engineering elements are required to achieve a particular biological function, what are the individual biochemical and structural tolerances of these elements and how much of a protein infrastructure is consumed in accommodating the function. To start answering these questions, we have synthesized a set of amphiphilic maquettes. These maquettes transfer electrons across membranes, bind O2 and CO. They can be assembled on electrodic substrates through a variety of attachment strategies including simple adsorption, cysteine attachment to gold, histidine attachment to Ni-NTA, and click chemistry.
Kinesin-Cargo Motility in Random Microtubule Networks

Microtubules perform a major role in intracellular transportation, a complex and highly regulated process of motor driven transport of cargos such as organelles, protein complexes, and vesicles. Transport is essential for the survival, development, and maintenance of cells. Kinesin-1 is a major motor protein responsible for plus-end directed transport along microtubules in many cell types. Prior work in our laboratory involved studying the effect of crowding on single motors and artificial quantum-dot “cargos.” We found that single molecules were hindered in crowded conditions, but cargos were still able to move long distances. Further, we found that the orientation of multiple microtubules within bundles can alter where and how fast single motors move. Using this technique of imaging quantum-dot cargoes in a single molecule assay, we are interested to learn how single motors and cargos transport in random networks of microtubules that are bundled or crossed. We find that cargos continue to transport, but can become locally pinned to a particular location because of the local orientation and directionality of the microtubules. We are analyzing the mean squared displacements over time to determine the type of motility they display compared to multiple models of particle transport.
Tunis Connections: Concatenations and Missed Opportunities, Bond, Fanon, Foucault:

Reflecting on Contested Terrains and Constructed Categories: Contemporary Africa in Focus, a book George Bond and I edited during our work at the Institute of African Studies at Columbia University in the late 1990s, this paper considers the notion of contested terrains, that for George Bond was played out in the scholarship of African studies, in the daily encounters which he had with his colleagues, and in his Zambian research. Bond understood these contestations as continuously operating on and across and often taking place below the surface or at the margins of insititutions. This paper emerged in response to Bond’s invitation to speak about Fanon’s psychiatry writings and Fanon’s critique of sociotherapy on a panel he was organizing at the American Anthropological Association in 2014 (AAA). After he died, the focus shifted to include Bond alongside Fanon and Foucault underscoring the continued need for dialog on the work of three intellectuals—African-American, African Caribbean, and French. The conn...
The Language of Relationships: I. Description

ABSTRACT This paper examines the way in which people describe their own relationships, and compares those descriptions to the universally acknowledged relational dimensions, control and affiliation . Subjects wrote descriptions of one of three types of relationships: best liked opposite sex friend, best liked same sex friend, or described in terms of Affect, Approach-Avoidance and Structure. In addition, subjects characterised their positive relationships in terms of Support and their negative relationships in terms of Incongruity. Importantly, control appeared as a sub-set of Structure: one of many constraints, limits and obligations which define relationships. Affect appears to be broader than previously considered, in that several types of cognitive and behavioural representations are perceived as defining a relationship along this dimension. Support is a care-giving or caretaking dimension. Approach-Avoidance is an indication of the inclusiveness or “tightness” of the relational system. The dimension identified as Incongruity in negative relationships encompasses the insincerity or phoniness enacted by people who are forced into a relationship and try to “put a good face on it”.
Abnormal Complex Auditory Pattern Analysis in Schizophrenia Reflected in an Absent Missing Stimulus Mismatch Negativity.

The simple mismatch negativity (MMN) to tones deviating physically (in pitch, loudness, duration, etc.) from repeated standard tones is robustly reduced in schizophrenia. Although generally interpreted to reflect memory or cognitive processes, simple MMN likely contains some activity from non-adapted sensory cells, clouding what process is affected in schizophrenia. Research in healthy participants has demonstrated that MMN can be elicited by deviations from abstract auditory patterns and complex rules that do not cause sensory adaptation. Whether persons with schizophrenia show abnormalities in the complex MMN is unknown. Fourteen schizophrenia participants and 16 matched healthy underwent EEG recording while listening to 400 groups of 6 tones 330 ms apart, separated by 800 ms. Occasional deviant groups were missing the 4th or 6th tone (50 groups each). Healthy participants generated a robust response to a missing but expected tone. The schizophrenia group was significantly impaired in activating the missing stimulus MMN, generating no significant activity at all. Schizophrenia affects the ability of “primitive sensory intelligence” and pre-attentive perceptual mechanisms to form implicit groups in the auditory environment. Importantly, this deficit must relate to abnormalities in abstract complex pattern analysis rather than sensory problems in the disorder. The results indicate a deficit in parsing of the complex auditory scene which likely impacts negatively on successful social navigation in schizophrenia. Knowledge of the location and circuit architecture underlying the true novelty-related MMN and its pathophysiology in schizophrenia will help target future interventions.
A universal surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS)-active graphene cathode for lithium–air batteries

Nonaqueous lithium–air (Li–O2) batteries, with their high theoretical energy densities far exceeding those of conventional Li-ion batteries, have attracted significant research interest over the past decade. However, the practical realization of Li–O2 batteries is still confronted with the challenge of electrode side reactions that lead to severe solvent/electrode degradation upon cycling. To understand the reaction process on the electrode, it is necessary to obtain detailed information about the chemicals formed on the Li–O2 battery electrode. Herein, a universal method to fabricate large-area regularly patterned gold nano-dots using an anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) mask was developed. The gold nano-dots were patterned on to conductive substrates such as Au film and graphene, and then the films were used as SERS (Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy)-active cathodes in Li–O2 batteries. The discharge products on the different electrodes (graphene and gold) were analyzed and the results indicated that the SERS electrode will be a useful tool for studying the reaction process on lithium–air cathodes.
Source parameters for aftershocks of the Oroville, California, earthquake

Abstract A suite of 111 strong-motion accelerograms for 14 aftershocks of the Oroville, California, earthquake ( M L = 5.7, 1 August 1975) that range in local magnitude ( M L ) from 2.8 to 5.2 has been analyzed to obtain estimates of seismic moment ( M o ), source radius ( r o ), and stress drop (Δσ) in addition to the focal parameters of location, depth, and fault-plane solution. This data set, which is unusually complete for near-source (Δ ≲ 20 km) on-scale readings, allows for greater precision in the calculation of various measures of stress difference as represented by the Brune stress drop, the apparent stress, the a rms stress drop, and the dynamic stress drop. In addition, the seismicity following each aftershock and state-of-stress seem to correlate with particular estimates of stress drop. Seismic moments were calculated from the asymptotic long-period spectral levels which were corrected for the radiation pattern of a double-couple point source. They range from 1.4 × 10 21 dyne-cm for a M L = 2.8 shock to 3.3 × 10 23 dyne-cm for a M L = 5.1 event. A least-squares fit between M L and the logarithm M o yields log M 0 = ( 1.36 ± 0.22 ) M L + ( 16.8 ± 1.1 ) for M L ≧ 4.3 and log ⁡ M 0 = ( 1.1 ± 0.14 ) M L + ( 18 ± 0.51 ) for M L ≦ 4.1. These relationships are qualitatively in agreement with the response of the Wood-Anderson instrument to a Brune pulse. Stress drops from the Brune formulation range about 14 to 170 bars. Stress drop is correlated with depth in that the deepest events have the largest stress drops and no large stress drops occur at the shallow depths. Apparent stresses are smaller than the Brune stress drops and show a weaker depth dependence over the depth interval for which they are available. The stress drop calculated from the rms of acceleration ( a rms ) was approximately constant at about 90 bars for 5 of the 7 larger events analyzed; the two high values of 160 and 190 bars were obtained only for the two events which had marked aftershock sequences of their own. These results may be interpreted in terms of the state-of-stress, simple fracture criteria, and mechanisms for the generation of aftershocks. The increase with depth of the envelope of the Brune stress drops may be caused by an increase in shear stress from overburden pressure. Smaller stress drop events can occur at any depth interval. The causal mechanism of aftershocks is not known, but probably includes a change in the frictional properties of the fault, suggesting that the a rms stress drop is a measure of the frictional or dynamic stress release.
edTPA and Physical Education: Tips for Success for All Stakeholders

Many teacher candidates, cooperating teachers, school administrators, and physical education teacher education (PETE) programs have increased responsibilities and needs related to teacher performan...
Modeling of HVAC operational faults in building performance simulation

Operational faults are common in the heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems of existing buildings, leading to a decrease in energy efficiency and occupant comfort. Various fault detection and diagnostic methods have been developed to identify and analyze HVAC operational faults at the component or subsystem level. However, current methods lack a holistic approach to predicting the overall impacts of faults at the building level—an approach that adequately addresses the coupling between various operational components, the synchronized effect between simultaneous faults, and the dynamic nature of fault severity. This study introduces the novel development of a fault-modeling feature in EnergyPlus which fills in the knowledge gap left by previous studies. This paper presents the design and implementation of the new feature in EnergyPlus and discusses in detail the fault-modeling challenges faced. The new fault-modeling feature enables EnergyPlus to quantify the impacts of faults on building energy use and occupant comfort, thus supporting the decision making of timely fault corrections. Including actual building operational faults in energy models also improves the accuracy of the baseline model, which is critical in the measurement and verification of retrofit or commissioning projects. As an example, EnergyPlus version 8.6 was used to investigate the impacts of a number of typical operational faults in an office building across several U.S. climate zones. The results demonstrate that the faults have significant impacts on building energy performance as well as on occupant thermal comfort. Finally, the paper introduces future development plans for EnergyPlus fault-modeling capability.
Abstract 241: Design and Clinical Outcomes of INSTOR (Interventional Stroke Therapy Outcomes Registry)

Background: In the United States there has been no national stroke registry that tracks emergency intra-hospital processes of care and 90-day clinical outcomes for both IV tPA and/or emergency endo...
Anisotropic mechanical properties of oriented carbon fiber filled polymer composites produced with fused filament fabrication

Abstract Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) is a widely used Additive Manufacturing (AM) technique. Recently, mechanical properties of plastic FFF parts have been enhanced by adding short carbon fibers to the thermoplastic polymer filament to form a carbon fiber filled (CFF) polymer composite. Unfortunately, improvements to the material properties of commercially available CFF filament are not well understood. This paper presents a study of CFF FFF parts produced on desktop 3D printers using commercially available filament. Tensile test samples fabricated with CFF polymer composite and unfilled polymer were printed and then tested following ASTM D3039M. Test bars were printed with FFF bead orientations aligned with the direction of the applied load at 0 °, and also at 45°, ±45°, and normal to the loading axis at 90°. The filament considered here was purchased from filament suppliers and included both CFF and unfilled PLA, ABS, PETG and Amphora. Results for tensile strength and tensile modulus show that CFF coupons in general yield higher tensile modulus at all print orientations and higher tensile strength at 0 ° print orientation. The addition of carbon fiber was shown to decrease tensile strength for some materials when printed with beads not aligned with the loading direction. Additionally, CFF samples are evaluated for fiber length distribution (FLD) and fiber weight fraction, where it was found that the filament extrusion process contributes very little to fiber breakage. Finally, fracture surfaces evaluated under SEM show that voids between the beads are reduced with CFF coupons, and poor interfacial bonding between fibers and polymer become a prominent failure mechanism.