cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
H2S corrosion of mild steel: A quantitative analysis of the mechanism of the cathodic reaction

Abstract In the context of H2S corrosion of mild steel, the direct electrochemical reduction of H2S is currently believed to be the main contribution of this species to cathodic currents. That is perhaps due to the distinct behavior of the cathodic polarization curves observed in the presence of H2S, as compared to those obtained in strong acids solutions or in the presence of other weak acids such as carboxylic acids and carbonic acid. In the presence of aqueous H2S, the cathodic polarization curves show a “double wave” shape, that is widely considered to be the result of the direct reduction of H2S. In the present study, the mechanism of H2S corrosion of mild steel is theoretically investigated with the focus on the buffering ability of H2S. It is shown that all characteristic behaviors of cathodic currents that were previously associated with the direct reduction of H2S, including the “double wave”, can be fully explained in terms of the H2S dissociation reaction and its buffering effect. In order to further evaluate this mechanistic argument, a comprehensive mathematical model for the H2S system was developed and the calculated cathodic polarization curves were compared with the existing experimental data in the open literature. The results showed that the model, built with H+ reduction as the sole cathodic reaction, is able to reasonably capture all characteristic behavior of cathodic currents, further supporting this mechanistic argument.
Sleep, energy balance, and meal timing in school-aged children

Abstract Objective To determine associations among objectively-measured nocturnal sleep time, bedtime and obesogenic behaviors, including dietary intake, timing of intake, and physical activity, in a diverse sample of school-aged children who presented for behavioral treatment to enhance sleep duration. Methods Eighty-seven children (8–11 y, 66.7% female, zBMI: 0.86 ± 1.0) who self-reported sleeping Results and conclusion Mean bedtime was 10:31 PM (±58.2 min) and mean nocturnal sleep time was 7.7 h (±37.5 min). Although later bedtime was associated with shorter sleep time (r = −0.61, p p p = 0.04). Both sleep time and later bedtime were associated with a later last meal of the day (all p Clinical trial Enhancing Sleep Duration: Effects on Children's Eating and Activity Behaviors, NCT03186508 , https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03186508 .
Landscape criticism: Between dissolution and objectification

Criticism, as well as its cousins research and interpretation, has been under fire for some time now. In an era of information surplus and cultural relativity, articulating a critical or definitive...
Relationship-Centered Advising in a Medical School Learning Community:

Background:Medical schools are required to have formal advising structures; however, there are limited data on how to optimally meet that mandate. Learning communities (LC), with their emphasis on ...
Fetal thrombocytopenia in pregnancies complicated by fetal anemia due to red-cell alloimmunization: cohort study and meta-analysis.

To estimate the prevalence and characteristics of fetal thrombocytopenia at the time of percutaneous umbilical cord sampling (PUBS) in pregnancies complicated by alloimmunization and to conduct a systematic review on fetal thrombocytopenia in these pregnancies. Retrospective cohort study of all patients undergoing PUBS at our institution from 2000–2017. Clinical data, including fetal platelet counts, were abstracted from the medical record and analyzed with routine statistical procedures. A systematic review and meta-analysis were also conducted according to standard procedures. At first procedure, prior to any transfusion, 13/36 fetuses (36%) had thrombocytopenia: 11/36 (31%) had moderate thrombocytopenia and 2/36 (6%) had severe thrombocytopenia (14 patients had no platelet count at first procedure). The systematic review identified six studies, and the prevalence of fetal thrombocytopenia at the time of PUBS for alloimmunization was 18% (95% confidence interval 11%, 26%). Thrombocytopenia is common and underappreciated in fetuses undergoing PUBS for alloimmunization.
Uncovering the Genomic Landscape in Newly Diagnosed and Relapsed Pediatric Cytogenetically Normal FLT3-ITD AML.

Fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) internal tandem duplication (ITD) mutations, common in pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML), associate with early relapse and poor prognosis. Past studies have suggested additional cooperative mutations are required for leukemogenesis in FLT3-ITD+ AML. Using RNA sequencing and a next-generation targeted gene panel, we broadly characterize the co-occurring genomic alterations in pediatric cytogenetically normal (CN) FLT3-ITD+ AML to gain a deeper understanding of the clonal patterns and heterogeneity at diagnosis and relapse. We show that chimeric transcripts were present in 21 of 34 (62%) of de novo samples, 2 (6%) of these samples included a rare reoccurring fusion partner BCL11B. At diagnosis, the median number of mutations other than FLT3 per patient was 1 (range 0-3), which involved 8 gene pathways; WT1 and NPM1 mutations were frequently observed (35% and 24%, respectively). Fusion transcripts and high variant allele frequency (VAF) mutants, which included WT1, NPM1, SMARCA2, RAD21, and TYK2, were retained from diagnosis to relapse. We did observe reduction in VAF of simple or single mutation clones, but VAFs were preserved or expanded in more complex clones with multiple mutations. Our data provide the first insight into the genomic complexity of pediatric CN FLT3-ITD+ AML and could help stratify future targeted treatment strategies.
A Short and Efficient Synthesis of the [3]Triangulene Ring System

Triangulenes are of current interest for potential applications in molecular electronics. We describe here a three step synthesis of the 4,8,12-trihydro[3]triangulenium cation by cascade cyclization of a tetra-benzyl alcohol precursor in triflic acid solution. This stable carbocation is easily observed by NMR and optical spectroscopy and is highly fluorescent. Quenching of the cation into basic solutions or by hydride transfer from triethylsilane provides access to stable dihydro and tetrahydro[3]triangulenes. These neutral species interconvert with cations in a complex series of proton and hydride transfers. This route provides several important [3]triangulene precursors. Preliminary experiments designed to generate [3]triangulene in the solution phase provide evidence for its formation and rapid oligomerization.
Higher Education Food Insecurity Toolkit Development and Feedback.

Abstract Objective Develop and gain feedback on a food insecurity toolkit for higher education institutions to provide food insecurity programming on campus that will promote a food-secure campus environment. Methods A search of the literature was completed by 2 researchers to develop the toolkit. The toolkit was assessed using an online 27 item open- and close-ended survey. One hundred twenty-six stakeholders from 106 land grant institutions were contacted to provide perceptions of the developed toolkit, including usefulness, barriers to application, and recommendations for improvement. Results Thirty stakeholders from 27 institutions responded. Thematic analysis of feedback covered 4 main topics: layout, overall content, initiatives, and application. Eight themes emerged: visual appeal, organization, value, provoking, comprehensive, barriers, collaboration, and efficiency. Corrections and recommendations were provided for each topic. Conclusions And Implications The themes derived encompassed the objective of the toolkit. This toolkit serves as a resource that can be utilized by student leaders, clubs or organizations, campus stakeholders, or administrators to begin a food security initiative on campus.
Galantamine protects against synaptic, axonal, and vision deficits in experimental neurotrauma.

Abstract Our goal was to investigate the neuroprotective effects of galantamine in a mouse model of blast-induced indirect traumatic optic neuropathy (bITON). Galantamine is an FDA-approved acetylcholinesterase inhibitor used to treat mild-moderate Alzheimer's disease. We exposed one eye of an anesthetized mouse to repeat bursts of over-pressurized air to induce traumatic optic neuropathy. Mice were given regular or galantamine-containing water (120 mg/L) ad libitum, beginning immediately after blast and continuing for one month. Electroretinograms and visual evoked potentials were performed just prior to endpoint collection. Histological and biochemical assessments were performed to assess activation of sterile inflammation, axon degeneration, and synaptic changes. Galantamine treatment mitigated visual function deficits induced by our bITON model via preservation of the b-wave of the electroretinogram and the N1 of the visual evoked potential. We also observed a reduction in axon degeneration in the optic nerve as well as decreased rod bipolar cell dendritic retraction. Galantamine also showed anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Galantamine may be a promising treatment for blast-induced indirect traumatic optic neuropathy as well as other optic neuropathies.
Optimal design for classification of functional data

We study the design problem for the optimal classification of functional data. The goal is to select sampling time points so that functional data observed at these time points can be classified accurately. We propose optimal designs that are applicable to either dense or sparse functional data. Using linear discriminant analysis, we formulate our design objectives as explicit functions of the sampling points. We study the theoretical properties of the proposed design objectives and provide a practical implementation. The performance of the proposed design is evaluated through simulations and real data applications. The Canadian Journal of Statistics 48: 285–307; 2020 © 2019 Statistical Society of Canada
High Dynamic Range AFM Cantilever With a Collocated Piezoelectric Actuator-Sensor Pair

We present a novel approach to fundamentally eliminate electrical feedthrough (cross-talk) signal in self-sensing piezoelectric microcantilevers, used in dynamic mode atomic force microscopy (AFM). The probe is an Si microcantilever on which a two-layer piezoelectric stack transducer is microfabricated. The top transducer in the stack functions as an actuator, while the bottom transducer is used as a deflection sensor. This arrangement leads to a collocated actuator-sensor pair that co-exist on the same surface area. We report experimental results that establish the sensor’s ability to capture the full dynamic range of the cantilever with minimal feedthrough from the actuator. [2019-0143]
Information Capacity of Implicit Receiver Training in Unknown MIMO Channels

The capacity of a channel subject to frequency selective fading is a fundamentally well known result when perfect channel side information (CSI) or explicit training is available at the receiver for performing MMSE MIMO estimation. However, in practical wireless applications, the channel estimation problem operates initially without full knowledge of the channel parameters. This problem expatiates further when the channel is time varying, where a continually transmitting source may need to expend a significant portion of its resources on training. The capacity for training based MMSE MIMO estimation is well known where the redundancy incurred depends on the rate at which the channel varies. On the other hand, implicit training based (Blind) estimation does not require the transmission of known Pilot symbols with the cost that the signaling alphabet cannot generally be Gaussian when utilizing methods involving steepest descent or higher order statistics. In this paper, a subspace method (the MUSIC algorithm) of estimation is investigated and compared with two other techniques, namely the Goddard algorithm and the MMSE algorithm). It is shown that the MUSIC algorithm can approach the explicit MMSE training capacity of 5bits/Hz within 1dB for a very slow varying fading channel. It is also shown that for a channel subject to a more significant time variation, up to 2dB improvement can be realized with implicit training for less than 4bits/Hz capacity.
Blood glucose monitoring- an overview of current and future non-invasive devices.

Abstract Background and aims Blood glucose monitoring is very important for individuals with diabetes due to its rate determining role in medication strength adjustment and observation of possible life-threatening hypoglycemia. Possible non-invasive devices can overcome some of these burdens and could increase adherence towards checking blood glucose. Methods Data extraction methods were primarily based through various PubMed scholarly articles for real-world examples of non-invasive approaches. Additional articles were used in adjust as supplementary to the PubMed articles. Results Non-invasive technology is being heavily researched and could create a new market that could offer novel options for blood glucose monitoring at home. The lack of adherence for blood glucose monitoring may be tied to current blood glucose monitoring devices, which require invasive procedures that are often painful and expensive to acquire. Certain non-invasive devices have and are being developed for accurately assessing the blood glucose levels of individuals when compared to current blood glucose monitoring devices. Conclusion Blood glucose monitoring is very important for the health and safety of individuals with diabetes. It is important to consider the direct problems that may occur from the lack of adherence to blood glucose monitoring and propose options to help reduce the issues associated with current devices. Different non-invasive technologies can tailor to the needs of patients with diabetes based on the body target that is used for detection. Further research may be needed to help improve the specificity and sensitivity of certain technologies.
Acculturation science: Limitations and new directions

Abstract The influx of immigrants into the United States has increased the country’s cultural diversity. Approximately 40 million foreign-born individuals were living in the United States in 2010, comprising approximately 13% of the total population ( U.S. Census Bureau, 2012 ). The change brought by immigration to the United States is irrefutable. Reactions to immigration are often byproducts of how immigrants incorporate into mainstream American culture. Whether an immigrant decides to adopt to American culture or retain the culture of origin has critical implications for majority-minority group relations. This chapter presents a brief history of acculturation and future directions in acculturation science. In this effort, the chapter discusses metaanalytic research in the field of acculturation and health. Special consideration is given to the tools and methods used to understand acculturation. As society changes, the dynamics and factors that impact daily behaviors, interactions, and environments are key elements in shaping the ways in which individuals acculturate. The dynamic nature of our society is an element that is commonly left out of acculturation frameworks. Here, we propose the cultural inertia framework as a framework that interacts with the acculturative process.
Performance of New Monitoring Architectures for Underwater Oil/Gas Pipeline using Hyper-Sensors

We propose new real-time architectures for monitoring underwater oil and gas pipelines by using Underwater Wireless Sensor Network (UWSN). These monitoring architectures combine a real-time UWSN with nondestructive In Line Inspection (ILI) technology. A communication between UWSN and ILI tools adds a meaningful feature that allows the UWSN deliver crucial information regarding pipeline failures within minutes. Currently, there is no established communication system between UWSN and ILI. These suggested architectures will help reduce the pipeline defect detection time, dealing with corrosion, cracks, welds, and pipeline wall thickness through the improvement of data transfer from the pipeline to the processor. Moreover, the extraction of useful information and its timely delivery to the onshore main station will lead to decrease of issue occurrence.
Integrating genomics and multi-platform metabolomics enables metabolite QTL detection in breeding-relevant apple germplasm

Summary Research Conducted Apple (Malus × domestica) has commercial and nutritional value, but breeding constraints of tree crops limit varietal improvement. Marker-assisted selection minimizes these drawbacks, but breeders lack applications for targeting fruit phytochemicals. To understand genotype-phytochemical associations in apples, we have developed a high-throughput integration strategy for genomic and multi-platform metabolomics data. Methods 124 apple genotypes, including members of three pedigree-connected breeding families alongside diverse cultivars and wild selections, were genotyped and phenotyped. Metabolite genome-wide association studies (mGWAS) were conducted with 10,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms and phenotypic data acquired via LC-MS and 1H NMR untargeted metabolomics. Putative metabolite quantitative trait loci (mQTL) were then validated via pedigree-based analyses (PBA). Key Results Using our developed method, 519, 726, and 177 putative mQTL were detected in LC-MS positive and negative ionization modes and NMR, respectively. mQTL were indicated on each chromosome, with hotspots on linkage groups 16 and 17. A chlorogenic acid mQTL was discovered on chromosome 17 via mGWAS and validated with a two-step PBA, enabling discovery of novel candidate gene-metabolite relationships. Main Conclusion Complementary data from three metabolomics approaches and dual genomics analyses increased confidence in validity of compound annotation and mQTL detection. Our platform demonstrates the utility of multi-omics integration to advance data-driven, phytochemicalbased plant breeding.
MT and Arabic Language Issues

Arabic poses many interesting challenges to machine translation: ambiguous orthography, rich morphology, complex morpho-syntactic behavior, and numerous dialects. In this tutorial, we introduce the most important themes of challenges and solutions for people working on translation from/to Arabic or any of its dialects. The tutorial is intended for researchers and developers working on MT. The discussion of linguistic issues and how they are addressed in MT will help linguists and professional translators understand the issues machine translation faces when dealing with Arabic and other morphologically rich languages. The tutorial does not expect the attendees to be able to speak/read/write Arabic.
Frequent background polling on a shared thread, using light-weight compiler interrupts

Recent work in networking, storage and multi-threading has demonstrated improved performance and scalability by replacing kernel-mode interrupts with high-rate user-space polling. Typically, such polling is performed by a dedicated core. Compiler Interrupts (CIs) instead enable efficient, automatic high-rate polling on a shared thread, which performs other work between polls. CIs are instrumentation-based and light-weight, allowing frequent interrupts with little performance impact. For example, when targeting a 5,000 cycle interval, the median overhead of our fastest CI design is 4% vs. 800% for hardware interrupts, across programs in the SPLASH-2, Phoenix and Parsec benchmark suites running with 32 threads. We evaluate CIs on three systems-level applications: (a) kernel bypass networking with mTCP, (b) joint kernel bypass networking and CPU scheduling with Shenango, and (c) delegation, a message-passing alternative to locking, with FFWD. For each application, we find that CIs offer compelling qualitative and quantitative improvements over the current state of the art. For example, CI-based mTCP achieves ≈2× stock mTCP throughput on a sample HTTP application.
A workflow to assess the efficacy of brine extraction for managing injection-induced seismicity potential using data from a CO2 injection site near Decatur, Illinois

Abstract Injection of CO2 for storage in a geologic formation increases pore pressure and alters in situ stresses. Depending on the orientation of any existing fault and fracture planes, such as critically stressed planes, this stress alteration will modify normal stresses acting on planes and could result in frictional sliding and release stored energy in the form of seismicity. Brine extraction (BE) is a technique that can be applied prior to, or during, CO2 injection to reduce pore pressure for increasing storage capacity and, potentially, for reducing the likelihood of frictional sliding. A workflow is described to assess the efficacy of BE for mitigating frictional sliding (i.e., seismicity) during injection and entails: site characterization, stress calculations and failure assessment, static and dynamic modeling, and BE operational planning. Site characterization describes the stress field used to calculate the Coulomb Failure Function (CFF) that constrains allowable pore pressure changes and injection rates in the numerical simulation of CO2 injection scenarios. The inclusion of BE in the workflow allows for determination of the potential need for pressure reduction, and evaluation of the effectiveness of this operation. Example application of the workflow using an injection field dataset near Decatur, IL, provides insight on fracture planes and stresses at the site, formation properties and the impact of variable CO2 injection-rate targets on whether BE plans are required. The study workflow indicates that BE could enhance CO2 injection rate by 39% and correspondingly reduce the potential for injection-induced seismicity as indicated by a reduction in CFF.
Juvenile Homicide in the United States: Sizing Up the Problem and Moving Forward:

Juvenile murder arrests in the United States increased dramatically from 1984 to 1993, leading experts to forecast an epidemic of continued violence. Juvenile arrests for murder from 1995 to 2019 a...
The Gap Within Entrepreneurial Mindset Education

While the current approaches in higher education to teaching the entrepreneurial mindset provide an excellent foundation, there is a notable gap: Only a small percentage of the student population is being reached. In most universities, entrepreneurial education is positioned as a choice. Students can choose to pursue a major, minor, certificate, or some other academic degree related to entrepreneurship. Likewise, students can choose to take advantage of cocurricular opportunities held within entrepreneurship centers or other areas of the university. For those students who partake in these choices, there are remarkable opportunities, and we often hear success stories being shared on social media or university web pages. The purpose of this chapter is to explain how limited access is the major gap in current entrepreneurial mindset education, recognize the reasons why there is limited access to entrepreneurial mindset education, and describe how an “across the curriculum” approach can increase student access to entrepreneurial mindset education.
The Client Speaks Out: Three Domains of Meaning

The reciprocal exchange of information between a family therapist and his or her client(s) is considered a primary processual component of systemic therapy. Yet, while feedback is often considered part of the practice of therapy as it happens 'in the room,' treatment process utilizing the generation of feedback from clients has been under emphasized. This paper describes clients' perceptions of therapeutic experiences which emerged from interviews conducted after therapy ended. Three of the categories of meaning that emerged from the interviews are discussed as areas of significance for therapists. These relational processes have been identified as: (1) affirmation, (2) discovery, and (3) congruence. Client illustrations and a summary table of key representing these domains are presented that may be helpful to therapists as they clarify their own theoretical ideas and therapeutic behavior.
Chapter 15 Fisheries sea scallop, Placopecten magellanicus

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the fisheries sea scallop, Placopecten magellanicus—one of the most important pectinid species in the world. The sea scallop is the most important commercial bivalve in North America. Sea scallop recruitment, even in the center of its range is irregular and poses undue problems to an industry that is typically overcapitalized. Sea scallop growth rates are highly variable, depending on location. Growth rates calculated for various aggregations are reported usually in the form of the von Bertalanffy growth equation. Growth rates are negatively correlated to a combination of temperature and food availability with low temperature and low food levels producing the slowest growing scallops. Knowledge of the age structure of populations, growth rate, and longevity are essential for effective management of the fishery. The production depends on recruitment patterns and the nature of management regime selected particularly for the offshore fishing areas. The application of 3-D bottom imaging is changing fishing strategies into harvesting practices. Using the latest technology in multi-beam sonar, maps detailing seabed habitat, topography, and geology are produced for the main offshore scallop fishing areas.
Estimation and Identification of Streptococcus dysgalactiae Protective Antibody in Sera of Rabbits and Cattle

Rabbit and cow anti-Streptococcus dysgalactiae sera were tested by bacterial agglutination, complement fixation, hemagglutination, and immunodiffusion for the presence of antibody. The results of these tests were compared with mouse-protection studies on the same serum to estimate which in vitro test would best reflect the in vivo protective capacity of serum. Identification of the antibody constituents responsible for the mouse protection, hemagglutination, and complement fixation titers were established by reacting whole and diluted antisera with mercaptoethanol before and after testing. Results indicate that the complement fixation test may be a more accurate indicator of IgG protective bovine and rabbit antibody, whereas the hemagglutination test may more readily reflect a wider range of protective antibody levels and IgM. The complement fixation test showed some shared responses to IgG and IgM in both the rabbit and cow, whereas the IgM components seemed to be the predominant factor influencing hemagglutination titers in the rabbit and more so in the bovine. Mouse protection tests with mercaptoethanol-treated cow and rabbit sera indicate that the protective capacity of these antisera is shared between IgM and IgG components.
Design of the Thermal Control System for the Space Technology 5 Microsatellite

The New Millennium Program's (NMP) Space Technology 5 (ST-5) Project, currently in Phase B of the design process, is slated to launch three 20-kg class spin stabilized microsatellites in late 2003. The proposed orbit is highly elliptical and could result in an earth shadow eclipse of almost 2 hours. Although ST-5's maximum eclipse is only 2 hours, future missions could involve eclipses as long as 8 hours. As spacecraft size, mass, and available resources decrease and eclipse duration increases, thermal engineers will be challenged to design simple but robust thermal control systems that meet temperature requirements for all phases of the mission. This paper presents the results of a study of three design concepts and preliminary analysis of the design selected for ST-5.
Usage based predictive transistor aging model to optimize test limits on IO circuits

For reliability, it is crucial to understand the impact of aging on a component to insure that performance specifications are met throughout the design lifetime. This paper describes a Monte Carlo based predictive modeling framework to comprehend aging on a GPIO interface in 32nm Intel chipset product. This model incorporates component use conditions such as operating temperatures in the field and platform performance attributes. Use conditions are applied to enable this model to closely match expected population behavior in the field. These results were then used to optimize operating spec parameter values so as to reduce design overhead and product development costs.
AMERICA’S OBJECTIONS TO THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT

In what follows, I present a combination of philosophical and political perspectives on human rights and the establishment of an international criminal court. I present the United States’ pragmatic objections to establishing an international criminal court. Contrary to the United States’ pragmatic objections, I argue in favor of an international criminal court. Ultimately, I attempt to illustrate that the international criminal court will have protective measures designed to prevent political abuses of justice. When working properly, these protective measures will satisfy the U.S.’s pragmatic concerns. Thus, I conclude, the U.S. ought not abandon its longer history of supporting the establishment of an international criminal court.
Review: Alternative Placement of Penile Prosthesis Reservoir and AUS Pressure Regulating Balloon.

Abstract Introduction Ectopic placement of prosthetic balloons and reservoirs in urological surgery has gained popularity, and early experience suggests that such placement is safe and efficacious. We review the artificial urinary sphincter (AUS) pressure regulating balloon (PRB) and inflatable penile prosthesis (IPP) reservoir placement and the factors relating to ectopic vs. traditional paravesical placement of these devices. Methods Articles from peer‐reviewed journals, abstracts, and surgeons' series of outcomes form the basis for this review. Relevant mechanical function of devices and pertinent anatomy is reviewed. Main Outcome Measures To review the current data regarding ectopic and conventional reservoir placement for the AUS and IPP. Results Traditional and ectopic placements of the AUS PRB and IPP reservoir have been shown to be safe and effective. There are well‐documented risks associated with both traditional and ectopic approaches, and these risks must be weighed in the context of a specific clinical scenario and surgeon comfort. Conclusion Traditional and ectopic placement of prosthetic balloons and reservoirs should be guided by patient characteristics and surgeon experience. Our early experience is in agreement with that of others in that ectopic placement of these devices appears to be a viable alternative in the appropriately selected patient and may be a technically easy procedure to learn for the experienced prosthetic surgeon. Reznicek DG, Bryson R, and Kramer AC. Review: Alternative placement of penile prosthesis reservoir and AUS pressure regulating balloon. Sex Med Rev 2015;3:48–55.
Dynamic Secrets in Communication Security

This dissertation focuses on both theoretic and practical aspects of using a new approach, dynamic secrets, to provide secrecy to cryptographic keys in secure communications. In the conventional paradigm of communication security, cryptographic keys and the users' communication are independent. The cryptographic keys are generated using dedicated algorithms, protocols, and even specialized hardware. Contrarily, the dynamic secrets approach extracts shared secrecy from the users' communication traffic to generate and update the cryptographic key. The dynamic secrets approach offers several distinctive security benefits over conventional cryptographic key management approaches. Dynamic secrets can harvest true randomness from the communication channel and render the cryptographic key truly random without using any random number generator. Dynamic secrets can quickly and automatically restore a stolen cryptographic key by frequently updating the key using the secrecy extracted from users' communication traffic. Last but not least, dynamic secrets provide an extremely accurate method to detect intrusions to the secure communication system when a stolen key is used. We present the dynamic secrets approach in a secure packet communication model and verify its applicability in practical secure wireless communication scenarios. We further explore the security properties of dynamic secrets from a theoretic perspective and prove that dynamic secrets can achieve near optimal utilization of all possible secrecy in a secure communication. In this dissertation, we study the application of dynamic secrets in smart grid communications, where scalability and many other engineering factors are considered. We also investigate possible theoretic outreaches of dynamic secrets and find the reliability theory in system engineering as an important quantitative methods to evaluate the consistency of communication security. Finally, we present several dynamic secrets related topics as potential research directions.
Formation of the Blue Core in Argon Helicon Plasma

Helicon plasmas are typically associated with a core, a radially localized central area of strong ion light emission. Here, we investigate the role of electrostatic instabilities that lead to the formation of the classic blue core. We show that helicon plasma can also occur without the distinct core. In these conditions, the plasma is dominated by low-frequency resistive drift wave (RDW) instabilities propagating in the electron diamagnetic drift direction. When the intense sharp core is present, a new global equilibrium state is achieved where three radially separated plasma instabilities exist simultaneously. The density gradient driven RDWs separate the plasma radially into an edge region and a core region. The edge is dominated by strong, turbulent, shear-driven instabilities, while the core shows very coherent high azimuthal mode number fluctuations propagating in the ion diamagnetic drift direction and associated with enhanced ion emission. The particle flux is directed outward for small radii and inward for large radii, thus forming a radial particle transport barrier. The radial extent of the inner mode and radial location of the particle transport barrier is the same as the radius of the blue core. This new equilibrium, with the three coexisting radially separated plasma instabilities, leads to the formation of a very strong enhanced blue core. For a range of operating parameters, just prior to the blue core formation, the system undergoes incomplete intermittent transitions between the two equilibrium states, leading to the visual perception of a broad less intense helicon core. This is the first time that the development of the helicon core is shown to be associated with changes in radial transport driven by inherent low-frequency plasma instabilities.
A California Conundrum: Tradeoffs Among Rates, Reliability and the Environment During California’s 2000–2001 Energy Crisis

The 2000–2001 California energy crisis was a public policy problem of huge complexity and scope. Once considered a national and international electric restructuring model, the California system veered far off course in 2000 and 2001 as demand increases, supply shortages, a poorly designed market and abuses of market power led to exorbitant wholesale electricity prices, ongoing threats of blackouts and threats to the environment. The purpose of the paper is to consider actions of policy makers that were undertaken in 2000 and early 2001 to address policy objectives of rates, reliability and the environment within the context of the unfolding energy crisis. The paper develops a theory of how these three objectives can be addressed in a crisis. The paper then examines the actual behavior of policy makers as they developed and implemented various programs to fix or limit the consequences of the electricity crisis. Finally, the paper compares theory to practice. The paper concludes that policy makers prioritized improved reliability over low rates and environmental improvement, and prioritized low rates over environmental improvement. Based on information and predictions available at the time, policy makers’ choices reflected the expected level of degradation of each objective: policy makers believed reliability would suffer more than rates might increase and more than the environment would degrade. However, policy makers’ choices increased taxpayer and ratepayer future costs by billions of dollars.
Robust regularized set operations on polyhedra

Describes a simple, efficient and provably robust implementation of regularized set operations on polyhedral objects. Halfspaces are used as the underlying data structure to simplify the handling of degenerate cases. The geometric operations and relations are computed with floating point arithmetic which is fast but can lead to ambiguous interpretation of degenerate situations. To ensure that the results are still consistent the author implemented a test that detects when dependent decisions contradict each other. The consistency test is very simple, and does not require reasoning about the logical dependencies of the relations. The logical structure and the asymptotic behavior of the algorithm are not influenced by the consistency test, which makes this approach well suited for interactive modeling systems on graphics workstations with floating point accelerators. >
Degradation of lipid droplet-associated proteins by chaperone-mediated autophagy facilitates lipolysis

Chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA) selectively degrades a subset of cytosolic proteins in lysosomes. A potent physiological activator of CMA is nutrient deprivation, a condition in which intracellular triglyceride stores or lipid droplets (LDs) also undergo hydrolysis (lipolysis) to generate free fatty acids for energetic purposes. Here we report that the LD-associated proteins perilipin 2 (PLIN2) and perilipin 3 (PLIN3) are CMA substrates and their degradation through CMA precedes lipolysis. In vivo studies revealed that CMA degradation of PLIN2 and PLIN3 was enhanced during starvation, concurrent with elevated levels of cytosolic adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) and macroautophagy proteins on LDs. CMA blockage both in cultured cells and mouse liver or expression of CMA-resistant PLINs leads to reduced association of ATGL and macrolipophagy-related proteins with LDs and the subsequent decrease in lipid oxidation and accumulation of LDs. We propose a role for CMA in LD biology and in the maintenance of lipid homeostasis.
Convergence Analysis and Parallel Computing Implementation for the Multiagent Coordination Optimization Algorithm

In this report, a novel variation of Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm, called Multiagent Coordination Optimization (MCO), is implemented in a parallel computing way for practical use by introducing MATLAB built-in function parfor into MCO. Then we rigorously analyze the global convergence of MCO by means of semistability theory. Besides sharing global optimal solutions with the PSO algorithm, the MCO algorithm integrates cooperative swarm behavior of multiple agents into the update formula by sharing velocity and position information between neighbors to improve its performance. Numerical evaluation of the parallel MCO algorithm is provided in the report by running the proposed algorithm on supercomputers in the High Performance Computing Center at Texas Tech University. In particular, the optimal value and consuming time are compared with PSO and serial MCO by solving several benchmark functions in the literature, respectively. Based on the simulation results, the performance of the parallel MCO is not only superb compared with PSO for solving many nonlinear, noncovex optimization problems, but also is of high efficiency by saving the computational time.
Growth of Heterotrophic Bacteria and Algal Extracellular Products in Oligotrophic Waters

The unexpected observation of 200 to 400 coliform bacteria per 100 ml in an unpolluted pristine stream was studied within Grand Teton National Park, Wyo. The high numbers of waterborne bacteria occurred in mid- to late summer at a location where there was a coincidental bloom of an algal mat community. Periphyton samplers were used to measure the algal growth that coincided with the increase in number of bacteria. Laboratory studies followed the growth of various coliform bacteria in the supernatant obtained from a Chlorella culture isolated from the mat community. Mixed natural bacterial populations from the stream and pure cultures of water-isolated fecal and nonfecal coliforms increased by two to three orders of magnitude at 13°C when grown in the algal supernatant. Radioactive algal products were obtained by feeding an axenic Chlorella culture 14C-labeled bicarbonate under laboratory cultivation at 13°C with illumination. Radioactive organic material from the algae became incorporated into the particulate fraction of pure cultures of coliform bacteria as they reproduced and was later released as they died.
Poor visualization limits diagnosis of proximal junctional kyphosis in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

Abstract Background Context Multiple methods are used to measure proximal junctional angle (PJA) and diagnose proximal junctional kyphosis (PJK) after fusion for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS); however, there is no gold standard. Previous studies using the three most common measurement methods, upper-instrumented vertebra (UIV)+1, UIV+2, and UIV to T2, have minimized the difficulty in obtaining these measurements, and often exclude patients for which measurements cannot be recorded. Purpose The purpose of this study is to assess the technical feasibility of measuring PJA and PJK in a series of AIS patients who have undergone posterior instrumented fusion and to assess the variability in results depending on the measurement technique used. Study Design/Setting A retrospective cohort study was carried out. Patient Sample There were 460 radiographs from 98 patients with AIS who underwent posterior spinal fusion at a single institution from 2006 through 2012. Outcome Measures The outcomes for this study were the ability to obtain a PJA measurement for each method, the ability to diagnose PJK, and the inter- and intra-rater reliability of these measurements. Methods Proximal junctional angle was determined by measuring the sagittal Cobb angle on preoperative and postoperative lateral upright films using the three most common methods (UIV+1, UIV+2, and UIV to T2). The ability to obtain a PJA measurement, the ability to assess PJK, and the total number of patients with a PJK diagnosis were tabulated for each method based on established definitions. Intra- and inter-rater reliability of each measurement method was assessed using intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs). Results A total of 460 radiographs from 98 patients were evaluated. The average number of radiographs per patient was 5.3±1.7 (mean±standard deviation), with an average follow-up of 2.1 years (780±562 days). A PJA measurement was only readable on 13%–18% of preoperative filmsand 31%–49% of postoperative films (range based on measurement technique). Only 12%–31% of films were able to be assessed for PJK based on established definitions. The rate of PJK diagnosis ranged from 1% to 29%. Of these diagnoses, 21%–100% disappeared on at least one subsequent film for the given patient. ICC ranges for intra-rater and inter-rater reliability were 0.730–0.799 and 0.794–0.836, respectively. Conclusions This study suggests significant limitations of the three most common methods of measuring and diagnosing PJK. The results of studies using these methods can be significantly affected based on the exclusion of patients for whom measurements cannot be made and choice of measurement technique.
Elastic properties of single-walled carbon nanotubes in transverse directions

The elastic deformation of single-walled carbon nanotubes under hydrostatic pressure has been modeled using the molecular structural mechanics method. The computational results indicate that the radial direction elastic modulus deceases with the increase in tube diameter. The circumferential direction elastic modulus is insensitive to tube diameter, and roughly equal to the axial direction modulus. The hydrostatic pressure for tube buckling also deceases with increasing tube diameter and is in the range of 1.5--11 GPa for single-walled carbon nanotubes with diameters of 0.6--2.0 nm; this prediction is in good agreement with existing experimental results. The tube chirality has minor effect on the radial modulus and buckling strength.
A family of Gram-negative bacterial outer membrane factors that function in the export of proteins, carbohydrates, drugs and heavy metals from Gram-negative bacteria

Gram-negative bacteria have evolved transport complexes that export macromolecules and toxic substances across the two membranes of the cell envelope in a single energy coupled step. The process requires (1) a cytoplasmic membrane export system, (2) a membrane fusion protein (MFP), and (3) an outer membrane factor (OMF). Families comprising the former two constituents have been described previously. We here present an analysis of the phylogenetic and structural characteristics of the OMF family. Twenty-one members of this family have been identified, and based on available evidence, they function in conjunction with ABC, RND, MFS and/or other types of cytoplasmic transport systems. OMFs exhibit fairly uniform sizes (398–495 residues with two exceptions), and based on computational analyses, they may form β-barrel structures consisting of up to 16 β-strands. Phylogenetic analyses reveal that while the MFPs cluster in accordance with the type of cytoplasmic membrane transport systems with which they function, OMFs do not. We conclude that OMFs probably comprise a family of outer membrane porin-type proteins of uniform structure which did not coevolve with their cognate cytoplasmic membrane transport systems.
Barriers and motivators for making error reports from family medicine offices: a report from the American Academy of Family Physicians National Research Network (AAFP NRN).

Context: Reporting of medical errors is a widely recognized mechanism for initiating patient safety improvement, yet we know little about the feasibility of error reporting in physician offices, where the majority of medical care in the United States is rendered. Objective: To identify barriers and motivators for error reporting by family physicians and their office staff based on the experiences of those participating in a testing process error reporting study. Design: Qualitative focus group study, analyzed using the editing method. Setting: Eight volunteer practices of the American Academy of Family Physicians National Research Network. Participants: 139 physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, and staff who took part in 18 focus groups. Instrument: Interview questions asked about making reports, what prevents more reports from being made, and decisions about when to make reports. Results: Four factors were seen as central to making error reports: the burden of effort to report, clarity regarding the information requested in an error report, the perceived benefit to the reporter, and properties of the error (eg, severity, responsibility). The most commonly mentioned barriers were related to the high burden of effort to report and lack of clarity regarding the requested information. The most commonly mentioned motivator was perceived benefit. Conclusion: Successful error reporting systems for physicians’ offices will need to have low reporting burden, have great clarity regarding the information requested, provide direct benefit through feedback useful to reporters, and take into account error severity and personal responsibility.