cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Control of doubly-fed induction generators for distributed wind power generation

The wind power generation technology has evolved significantly in the past few years with the demand for distributed, renewable energy growing. The doubly-fed induction generator (DFIG) is one of the most attractive solutions among many energy conversion devices for wind energy. The doubly-fed induction generator with a back-to-back four-quadrant ac-dc-ac power converter between the rotor side and the grid side can realize efficient and flexible conversion of wind energy to electrical energy when the wind speed changes. Based on the stator-flux orientation control strategy, this paper discusses control design issues of the DFIG for distributed wind power generation in both gird-connected mode and isolated mode. The PI control method is used in the DFIGpsilas rotor-side power converter to regulate the current, voltage and power. Two cases with grid-connected and isolated modes are studied. Simulation results show that the stator-flux orientation control strategy can achieve good dynamic performances from the distributed wind power generation system in both grid-connected and isolated modes.
A dynamically reconfigurable switch for high-speed networks

We present a design for a dynamically reconfigurable switch for high-speed networks. The proposed switch will be used to build high-performance parallel/distributed systems. Switch reconfigurability is exploited to implement different interconnection topologies and support different application requirements. We discuss an FPGA implementation of such a switch where a new configuration can be attained by reprogramming its routing component. The design supports both circuit and packet switching communications with wormhole routing. Our design employs virtual channel flow control to improve throughput and provide additional degree of freedom in routing packets to their destinations. We also show how to use the proposed switch design to build a high-speed multi-link ring network and how to embed other topologies, such as Hypercube, onto that ring network. The same approach can be adopted to embed other topologies. >
Design for Assembly

Poor design is a life sentence to the operator on the floor! This enforces the need for evaluating what impacts the design specifications have on both manufacturing and assembly and how these impacts come about. Design for manufacturing and assembly (DFMA) is an analytical process that considers all aspects of the design, development, total parts, manufacturability, cost, assembly time, and modularity. DFMA has been in use by industry for several years. It focuses on product enhancements to allow improvements in manufacturing, cost, quality, reliability, time to market, and many other areas.
Structural Monitoring Arrays — Past, Present and Future

This paper presents a summary of the seismic monitoring issues as practiced in the past, as well as current applications and new developments to meet the needs of the engineering and user community. A number of examples exhibit the most recent applications that can be used for verification of design and construction practices, real-time applications for the functionality of built environment and assessment of damage conditions of structures.
Stationary Wave Interference and Its Relation to Tropical Convection and Arctic Warming

AbstractThe interference between transient eddies and climatological stationary eddies in the Northern Hemisphere is investigated. The amplitude and sign of the interference is represented by the stationary wave index (SWI), which is calculated by projecting the daily 300-hPa streamfunction anomaly field onto the 300-hPa climatological stationary wave. ERA-Interim data for the years 1979 to 2013 are used. The amplitude of the interference peaks during boreal winter. The evolution of outgoing longwave radiation, Arctic temperature, 300-hPa streamfunction, 10-hPa zonal wind, Arctic sea ice concentration, and the Arctic Oscillation (AO) index are examined for days of large SWI values during the winter.Constructive interference during winter tends to occur about one week after enhanced warm pool convection and is followed by an increase in Arctic surface air temperature along with a reduction of sea ice in the Barents and Kara Seas. The warming of the Arctic does occur without prior warm pool convection, but ...
Surfactant inhibition by plasma: gestational age and surfactant treatment effects in preterm lambs

Ikegami, Machiko, Celso M. Rebello, and Alan H. Jobe.Surfactant inhibition by plasma: gestational age and surfactant treatment effects in preterm lambs. J. Appl. Physiol. 81(6): 2517–2522, 1996.—Th...
Steady and unsteady modelling of the float height of a rotating air hockey disk

A similarity reduction of the Navier–Stokes equations for the motion of an infinite rotating disk above an air-bearing table yields a coupled pair of ordinary differential equations governed by a Reynolds number and a rotation parameter , where is the float height, is the air levitation velocity, is the disk rotation rate, and is the kinematic viscosity of air. After deriving the small- and large-Reynolds-number behaviour of solutions, the equations are numerically integrated over a wide range of parameter space. Zero-lift boundaries are computed as well as the boundaries separating pure outward flow from counter-flow in the gap. The theory is used to model the steady float height of a finite-radius air hockey disk under the assumption that the float height is small relative to the diameter of the disk and the flow is everywhere laminar. The steady results are tested against direct numerical simulation (DNS) of the unsteady axisymmetric Navier–Stokes equations for the cases where the disk rotates at constant angular velocity but is either at a fixed height or free to move axially. While a constant shift in the gap pressure conforms closely to that found using steady theory, the interaction of the radial jet emanating from the gap with a vertical transpiration field produces vortex rings which themselves propagate around to interact with the jet. Although these structures diffuse as they propagate up and away from the gap, they induce a departure from the steady-flow assumption of atmospheric pressure at the gap exit, thus inducing small irregular axial oscillations of the floating disk.
Cascade Laser Emission at 2.31 and 2.08 µm from Laser Diode Pumped Tm,Ho:LiYF4 at Room Temperature

Cascade laser emission at 2.31 and 2.08 µm is observed in Tm3+,Ho3+:LiYF4 (YLF) at room temperature using a laser diode pump source. The laser emission at 2.31 µm is from the 3H4 → 3H5 transition in thulium, and the emission at 2.08 µm is from the 5I7→5I8 transition in holmium. The laser transition in holmium has been previously reported with laser diode pumping in another laser host yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG)1,2,3.
Percutaneous Cryoablation of Extraabdominal Desmoid Tumors: A 10-Year Experience

OBJECTIVE. Extraabdominal desmoid (EAD) tumors pose a therapeutic challenge because they often recur locally and behave aggressively. Accepted management options include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and observation. The objective of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy of percutaneous cryoablation for the treatment of EAD tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS. A retrospective search of our cryoablation database was performed to identify patients with EAD tumors treated with percutaneous cryoablation between June 15, 2004, and June 15, 2014. During this 10-year time period, we treated 18 patients with 26 discrete tumors during 31 treatment sessions. After cryoablation, contrast-enhanced MRI or CT was performed. Any enhancing soft tissue was considered viable EAD tumor and was measured in three planes. RESULTS. Of the 26 EAD tumors treated, follow-up imaging with IV contrast material was available for 23 tumors. The mean imaging follow-up was 16.2 ± 20.0 (SD) months. All 31 sessions were technicall...
Cohesion in Online Student Teams versus Traditional Teams.

Researchers have found that the electronic methods in use for online team communication today increase communication quality in project-based work situations. Because communication quality is known...
Effect of PEG end-group hydrophobicity on lysozyme interactions in solution characterized by light scattering.

We compare protein–protein and protein–polymer osmotic virial coefficients measured by static light scattering for aqueous solutions of lysozyme with low-molecular-weight, hydroxy-terminated (hPEG)...
Lipoprotein subfractions in women athletes: effects of age, visceral obesity and aerobic fitness

Lipoprotein subfractions in women athletes: effects of age, visceral obesity and aerobic fitness
Monokaryotic Fruiting in Schizophyllum Commune: Phenoloxidases

(1979). Monokaryotic Fruiting in Schizophyllum Commune: Phenoloxidases. Mycologia: Vol. 71, No. 5, pp. 1082-1085.
Flight Control of Hypersonic Scramjet Vehicles Using a Differential Algebraic Approach

[Abstract] Trajectory Linearization Control (TLC) is applied to a longitudinal hypersonic scramjet vehicle (HSV) model. The TLC algorithm is based on Differential Algebraic Spectral Theory (DAST) which features a time-varying eigenvalue concept and avoids the use of so-called frozen-time eigenvalues that can lead to unreliable results when applied to time-varying dynamical systems. A TLC controller was first designed for a nonlinear, affine, rigid-body model using an allocation strategy based on trim-condition lookup tables. The tables were populated by trimming the model at multiple operating points while varying velocity and altitude. The trim data was then fitted to a cubic polynomial function, and the lookup tables were replaced by analytical expressions for the effector settings. The TLC design was then verified on a first-principles based, longitudinal, rigid-body hypersonic vehicle model, and initial simulation testing results are presented.
Electromagnetic Wave Excitation, Propagation, and Absorption in High Current Storage Rings

We analyze a variety of electromagnetic effects in storage rings with extremely high currents. Specifically, we discuss our experience in the operation of the PEP-II (SLAC B-factory). We present some outstanding and sometimes unpredictable effects of the behavior of electromagnetic waves excited by intense beams inside a vacuum chamber in storage rings. Although the impedance of the rings is usually designed to be small, intense high-current beams can still generate significant microwave power. This power can be enough to damage vacuum beam chamber elements, which may absorb electromagnetic waves. The most sensitive elements are RF seals, vacuum valves, shielded bellows, beam position monitor buttons, and ceramic tiles. Additionally, microwave heating leads to vacuum pressure spikes or even vacuum pressure instabilities that brings high detector background. Resonance excitation of the electromagnetic field may lead to a very high electric component amplitude that can cause breakdowns leading to sparks and discharges. Finally, high-power electromagnetic waves can be responsible for beam instabilities in the ring. Proper absorption of these generated waves may eliminate these effects. We feel our experience will be helpful in the design of new high current synchrotron light sources and storage rings.
A near-optimal dynamic power sharing scheme for self-reconfigurable modular robots

This paper proposes a dynamic and near-optimal power sharing mechanism for self-reconfigurable modular robots that successfully extends the operating time of sets of connected modules. The proposed method achieves near-optimal results even when each module only knows the power status of its immediate neighbors (those to which it is directly connected) rather than the power status of every module in the robotic system. The proposed method is validated in physics-based simulation environments and will be implemented on real robotic hardware developed at the Polymorphic Robotics Laboratory at the University of Southern California. It is also compared with current state-of-the-art power sharing mechanisms. Simulated results show that the proposed method allows for longer operation time than with alternative state-of-the-art methods.
Trading Off Accuracy, Timeliness, and Uplink Usage in Online GPS Tracking

In an online GPS tracking system, a fundamental trade-off exists between timeliness , the average time interval between a recorded change in location and a change in the reported location; accuracy , the average error between the actual location and the reported location; and uplink usage , the average amount of data used per second of tracking. While tracking efficiency has been addressed in the literature, our thrifty tracking system presents the first unified view of timeliness, accuracy, and uplink usage, allowing the user to specify desired targets for any two of these objectives, while optimizing the third. We also provide a closed-form characterization of this three-way trade-off, and demonstrate that our system converges to the predicted performance.
A self-learning unit for patients with diabetes.

A new self-learning method, featuring color slides with synchronized tape recording and based on the principles of programmed learning, was developed and evaluated by the authors. The study, from its inception to testing, is described.
Pyridyl-phenylethynylene bis-urea macrocycles: self-assembly and utility as a nanoreactor for the selective photoreaction of isoprene

Porous organic crystalline materials were obtained by the self-assembly of pyridyl-phenylethynylene bis-urea macrocycles (1). In contrast to the typical columnar assembly of other bis-urea macrocycles, 1 assembled into interdigitated layers to afford a host with small 1D channels with a pore diameter of ∼4.5 A. Herein, we discuss the origin between the expected and observed assembly and demonstrate the utility of these activated organic crystals to absorb a guest and maintain crystallinity during the reaction of the encapsulated guest and subsequent product isolation. Isoprene was chosen as a model monomer due to the small channel diameter of 1. The activated crystals were able to absorb isoprene and facilitate a photoinitiated and stereoselective oligomerization to produce trans-1,4-polyisoprene with low dispersity. The products were readily extracted from the crystals and analysis of the microstructure of the oligomer showed 97% trans-1,4 content and a dispersity (Đ) of 1.39. Despite the altered assembly pattern of this bis-urea macrocycle, powder X-ray diffraction studies demonstrated that the crystalline host was remarkably robust and stable throughout the activation, isoprene absorption, photoinduced polymerization, and product recovery processes. Our future investigations are focused on assessing the stability of the isoprene radicals within the host and evaluating the loading and reaction of other monomers.
Measuring populist discourse with semantic text analysis: an application on grassroots populist mobilization

Populism is a concept employed to qualify the political behavior of a large number of actors at a worldwide scale, with scientists classifying the latter into populists and non-populists according to dimensions such as ideology, strategy, discourse, economic policy, and even style. This article analyzes existing schools of thought on the nature of populism and argues that conceptualizing populism as a specific type of anti-elite discourse in the name of the People is both conceptually and methodologically the most coherent and useful way to understand the phenomenon. Additionally, it suggests discarding crude, dichotomous classification in favor of a gradated view of populist mobilization by means of quantifying populist discourse and observing its spatial and temporal variation. It adds value to current methods of measurement by demonstrating why and how clause-based semantic text analysis can provide optimal quantitative results while retaining qualitative elements for mixed-methods analysis. Aiming, moreover, at expanding the scope of populism studies by overcoming a narrow view that focuses exclusively at party system developments, it applies semantic text analysis to the study of grassroots mobilization during the Great Recession. Results point to the wide use of populist discourse on the part of movement activists seeking an inclusive language when framing disparate social grievances in a given constituency, a finding with important implications with regards to how populism can facilitate straddling the divide that purportedly distinguishes institutionalized party system behavior from the social movement milieu.
Assessing adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in the university setting.

Objective: To address the increasing demand for assessments of Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), the primary author developed a protocol for Counseling and Psychological Servic...
Solid-state physics conference in Leningrad

The roving AIME membership continues to provide the Journal of Metals with reports from the USSR. This time John J. Gilman of General Electric Research Laboratory tells of a recent international conference on “The Mechanical Properties of Non-metallic Solids” which took place in the city by the Neva.
Interatomic interaction effects on second-order momentum correlations and Hong-Ou-Mandel interference of double-well-trapped ultracold fermionic atoms

Identification and understanding of the evolution of interference patterns in two-particle momentum correlations as a function of the strength of interatomic interactions are important in explorations of the nature of quantum states of trapped particles. Together with the analysis of two-particle spatial correlations, they offer the prospect of uncovering fundamental symmetries and structure of correlated many-body states, as well as opening vistas into potential control and utilization of correlated quantum states as quantum-information resources. With the use of the second-order density matrix constructed via exact diagonalization of the microscopic Hamiltonian, and an analytic Hubbard-type model, we explore here the systematic evolution of characteristic interference patterns in the two-body momentum and spatial correlation maps of two entangled ultracold fermionic atoms in a double well, for the entire attractive- and repulsive-interaction range. We uncover quantum-statistics-governed bunching and antibunching, as well as interaction-dependent interference patterns, in the ground and excited states, and interpret our results in light of the Hong-Ou-Mandel interference physics, widely exploited in photon indistinguishability testing and quantum-information science.
Parametric Ordinal Logistic Regression and Non-Parametric Decision Tree Approaches for Assessing the Impact of Weather Conditions on Driver Speed Selection Using Naturalistic Driving Data:

The impact of adverse weather conditions on transportation operation and safety is the focus of many studies; however, comprehensive research detailing the differences in driving behavior and perfo...
Radiation-resistant nanotwinned austenitic stainless steel

Abstract A key strategy to increase the radiation resistance of materials has been to introduce a high density of interfaces that can act as sinks for radiation-induced defects. Twin boundaries are a type of interface that can be introduced through deformation but are usually considered to be ineffective sinks. Using heavy ion irradiation and transmission electron microscopy, this study investigates the influence of a high area per unit volume of twin boundaries on the radiation-induced swelling response of an austenitic stainless steel. The study shows that swelling can be suppressed in regions containing a high density of closely-spaced deformation twin boundaries.
A small molecule ApoE4-targeted therapeutic candidate that normalizes sirtuin 1 levels and improves cognition in an Alzheimer’s disease mouse model

We describe here the results from the testing of a small molecule first-in-class apolipoprotein E4 (ApoE4)-targeted sirtuin1 (SirT1) enhancer, A03, that increases the levels of the neuroprotective enzyme SirT1 while not affecting levels of neurotoxic sirtuin 2 (SirT2) in vitro in ApoE4-transfected cells. A03 was identified by high-throughput screening (HTS) and found to be orally bioavailable and brain penetrant. In vivo, A03 treatment increased SirT1 levels in the hippocampus of 5XFAD-ApoE4 (E4FAD) Alzheimer's disease (AD) model mice and elicited cognitive improvement while inducing no observed toxicity. We were able to resolve the enantiomers of A03 and show using in vitro models that the L-enantiomer was more potent than the corresponding D-enantiomer in increasing SirT1 levels. ApoE4 expression has been shown to decrease the level of the NAD-dependent deacetylase and major longevity determinant SirT1 in brain tissue and serum of AD patients as compared to normal controls. A deficiency in SirT1 level has been recently implicated in increased tau acetylation, a dominant post-translational modification and key pathological event in AD and tauopathies. Therefore, as a novel approach to therapeutic development for AD, we targeted identification of compounds that enhance and normalize brain SirT1 levels.
ESR Study of Copper(II) and Silver(II) Tetraphenylporphyrin

Copper(II) tetraphenylporphyrin and silver(II) tetraphenylporphyrin have been studied by ESR spectroscopy using the pure solid materials, solutions, magnetically-diluted single crystals, and polycrystalline powders. It has been possible to obtain rather complete ESR data, including the hyperfine interaction tensors, for 14N, 63’65Cu, and 107’109Ag. The results have been used to estimate molecular orbital coefficients in these compounds and to discuss details of the chemical bonding.
Dual-barcoded shotgun expression library sequencing for high-throughput characterization of functional traits in bacteria

A major challenge in genomics is the knowledge gap between sequence and its encoded function. Gain-of-function methods based on gene overexpression are attractive avenues for phenotype-based functional screens, but are not easily applied in high-throughput across many experimental conditions. Here, we present Dual Barcoded Shotgun Expression Library Sequencing (Dub-seq), a method that uses random DNA barcodes to greatly increase experimental throughput. As a demonstration of this approach, we construct a Dub-seq library with Escherichia coli genomic DNA, performed 155 genome-wide fitness assays in 52 experimental conditions, and identified overexpression phenotypes for 813 genes. We show that Dub-seq data is reproducible, accurately recapitulates known biology, and identifies hundreds of novel gain-of-function phenotypes for E. coli genes, a subset of which we verified with assays of individual strains. Dub-seq provides complementary information to loss-of-function approaches and will facilitate rapid and systematic functional characterization of microbial genomes.
Promising High-Speed Welding Techniques for Joining Polymers to Metals and Underlying Joining Mechanisms

Strong dissimilar material welds (DMW) of PA66 and 6061 Al was produced by friction lap welding (FLW) at welding speeds as high as 5 m/min. The temperature difference at various locations of the welds did not affect the local joining strength. In an attempt of explaining the joint strengths, special samples were made by evaporation of aluminum oxide onto a polyamide 66 (PA66) substrate to form metal/polymer interface. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis showed that the key chemical bond developed across the PA66/alumina interface is of Al–O–C type which would have very likely contributed to good joint strengths in such metal/polymer joints. Elevated temperatures are not essential for formation such chemical bonds as long as a fully intimate atomic contact between the PA66 and Al plates can be achieved.
Blood pressure, glycemic control, and white matter hyperintensity progression in type 2 diabetics.

Objective To determine whether higher blood pressure mean (BPM) or hemoglobin A1c is associated with progression of white matter hyperintensity (WMH) on MRI in patients with type 2 diabetes, and whether intensive blood pressure or glycemic control can reduce that progression. Methods We performed a secondary analysis of the Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes Memory in Diabetes (ACCORD MIND) research materials. The primary outcome is change in WMH volume (ΔWMH) between a baseline and month-40 MRI, and the primary predictor is BPM and A1c between the MRIs. Additional analyses compared ΔWMH in the intensive vs standard glycemic control randomization arms (n = 502) and intensive vs standard blood pressure control randomization arms (n = 314). Results Higher systolic BPM, but not diastolic BPM or A1c, was associated with WMH progression. The ΔWMH in tertiles of increasing systolic BPM (115 ± 4, 127 ± 3, and 139 ± 6 mm Hg) was 0.7, 0.9, and 1.2 cm 3 ( p 3 , p p = 0.917). Conclusion In ACCORD MIND, higher systolic blood pressure was associated with WMH progression. The intensive blood pressure control intervention reduced this progression. Comorbid diabetes and hypertension has synergistic deleterious properties that increase the risk of micro- and macrovascular complications. These results provide further support for an aggressive approach to blood pressure control in type 2 diabetics.
Historical Methods in Family Research

In answer to the question, “What is history,” Gallie (1968) stated that it is a wide collection of searches, resting upon evidence, that addresses past human endeavors. History is an account, a story, or a record of what has happened in the life of a people, a country, or a society. It is a branch of knowledge dealing with past events. In a sense, everything we do and say is a part of history. It may not have meaning to others and it may not be recorded for others to ponder, but nevertheless it is a part of the human story. History as a whole tells the story of human actors in a complex world of change, disruption, and continuity. As such, the domain of historical methods constitutes an appropriate context for understanding research findings on attitudes and behavior associated with family functioning.
Analytical Background for Developing a Body of Knowledge for Cartography

Abstract. At the 2011 ICC meetings in Paris, Moellering (2011) discussed the ICA Research Agenda, looked to the future, and recommended that the ICA move to develop a formal Body of Knowledge for the field of Cartography. In the last few years, the ICA leadership has recognized this need, and has organized an effort to develop a systematic Body of Knowledge (BoK) for the field of Cartography. In order to develop a systematic and comprehensive BoK for Cartography, it is important to include all aspects of the field: conceptual, conventional, perceptual, virtual, production, quantitative and analytical. In this milieu many of the long-standing components of cartography exist in the Surface Structure of the field, meaning that they are directly and visually observed. Most of those components have been recognized for many decades, even centuries. However, the analytical and mathematical components of cartography exist in the Deep Structure of the field. These are associated with the data, information, and metadata that underlie the standard visualizations process. These quantitative and analytical components in cartography mostly are relatively new, being developed in recent decades. Essentially these new analytical components in the Deep Structure can be considered the new half of the field of cartography, and it is essential that they be included in a full definition of the BoK for cartography. This paper will discuss these conceptual analytical components of Cartography and relate them to the evolving Body of Knowledge for the field.
The Distribution of the Land Mammals of Sonora, Mexico

A distributional and zoogeographical analysis based on published records and approximately 13,000 specimens is provided for the 122 naturally occurring mammalian species in Sonora, Mexico. Twenty-eight species of unverified occurrences which could be present in Sonora are discussed. Domesticated mammals are listed and introduced species are briefly discussed. Descriptions of the topography, climate, vegetation, and hydrological features of Sonora are included. Dichotomous keys provide for the identification of Sonoran mammals to the level of order, family, and species. Species accounts include the following: scientific and common names, additional identification remarks, general distributional discussions, various ecological and biological remarks, records of known occurrence, and distributional range maps. Distributional patterns are discussed ecologically and geographically. Eighteen physiognomically described community types are defined. Similarities in mammalian composition among community types are compared using a phenogram constructed by the Unweighted Pair-Group Method using Arithmetic averages (UPGMA) clustering process. The similiarity values clustered were Jaccard's Coefficient of Communities which were calculated between each community type. The clustering process suggested three main ecological complexes of mammals in Sonora: a subtropical group, a mid-to-upper elevation group, and a lower elevation group. A computer-constructed species density contour map indicated the number of species across Sonora varied between 54 and 95 species. Superimposed species range limits and analysis (UPGMA cluster analysis of distance dissimilarity coefficients) of presence-absence data of species in a grid system suggested five different mammalian provinces in Sonora: Sonoran, Trans Sonoran, Sinaloan, Yaquian, and Upper Mapimian. Faunal element analysis suggested at least five faunal units (Chihuahuan, Yuman, Neotropical, Campestrian, and Eastern) contribute species elements to the total fauna of Sonora.
A Controlled Investigation of In-Field Attenuation Performance of Selected Insert, Earmuff, and Canal Cap Hearing Protectors:

A field study assessed the actual spectral noise attenuation achieved by 40 industrial workers wearing four different hearing protection devices (HPDs) while on the job. The effect of two different HPD fitting procedures (subject fit vs. trained fit) on attenuation performance over two three-week periods of protector use was determined. Subjects were retrieved from their workplaces without prior knowledge of when they were to be tested and were not permitted to readjust the fit of their HPDs. Attenuation data were then collected using psychophysical procedures testing real ear attenuation at threshold. Statistical analyses indicated that the earplugs' attenuation significantly improved when training for proper fitting was used, whereas the earmuff and the ear canal cap were relatively insensitive to the training effect. The training was most effective for a slow-recovery foam plug over the three-week period. Results confirmed that laboratory protocols designed to simulate workplace influences on attenuation may not be relied on to yield reasonable estimates of field protection performance of HPDs, particularly for earplugs; however, the laboratory results were much better predictors of field protection for the earmuff. This study also demonstrated that the labeled manufacturers' noise reduction ratings (NRRs) substantially overestimated the actual field attenuation performance. Language: en
Pilot trial of a telepsychotherapy parenting skills intervention for veteran families: Implications for managing parenting stress during COVID-19

Changes in daily life created by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic have resulted in a largely unprecedented situation for millions of families worldwide. Families are under considerable stress, and parents may experience greater psychological distress and disruptions in the parent- child relationship. Some parents may be particularly vulnerable to recent stressors, including those with preexisting psychological disorders and family dysfunction. In the United States, military veterans are one such at-risk population. Recent challenges may exacerbate preexisting conditions and heighten parenting stress, thereby negatively impacting child and family functioning. In this article, we share our experiences developing and piloting a telepsychotherapy parenting skills program for military veterans. The intervention, Online Parenting Pro-Tips (OPPT), combined web-based educational modules addressing child development and positive parenting with live coaching (via videoconferencing link) of parenting skills. Forty-one veterans with a child between the ages of 3 and 9 years enrolled in this trial and 22 completed the 6-session intervention. Veterans who completed the intervention experienced significant reductions in depression, parenting stress, and family dysfunction, with medium to large effect sizes (Cohen's d ranged from .53 to .98). Veterans also reported significant improvements in their child's behaviors. These findings have important implications pertaining to the feasibility and effectiveness of telepsychotherapy interventions to support at-risk families and promote positive parent- child interactions and family functioning during the COVID-19 crisis and beyond. At a practical level, OPPT and similar telepsychotherapy interventions for families could be modified to be delivered via smartphone to increase accessibility and cost-effectiveness for families worldwide.
Better the devil you know: Inter-organizational information technology and network social capital in coopetition networks

Abstract By enabling more efficient information and knowledge sharing and reinforcing the shared goals for participating members, inter-organizational information technology (IT) becomes instrumental to both accomplishing coopetitive outcomes and avoiding the pitfalls of partner opportunism. We posit that as network social capital is accumulated in technology-enabled coopetition networks, collaboration will enhance the strategic value of outcomes and positively affect goal convergence among network users. Our findings illustrate that the role of technology in coopetition extends beyond facilitating knowledge exchange and may play a vital role in the strategic development of firms pursuing coopetitive options.
Method for Restoring Distribution Rule of DC Ground Potential Under HVDC System

The ground potential distribution of the High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) transmission system during ground loop operation is a prerequisite for accurately assessing the DC bias levels of AC and DC grid transformers, track circuits, buried metals, and oil and gas pipelines, and being affected by the ground electrode current. The size of the ESP near the ground electrode of the DC transmission system is affected by the DC system; one is affected by the size, shape and embedding method of the ground electrode; the second depends on the spatial distribution of the earth resistivity. The complex geo-logical environment makes the electrical structure of the earth complex and changeable. Therefore, it is particularly important to establish a model of the earth resistance that simulates the actual electrical structure of the earth, model the earth electric field near the DC ground electrode, and find out the factors that can affect the ESP distribution. In this paper, a mathematical algorithm is used to derive the mathematical formula of the ground potential of the composite earth model, and then this analytical formula is applied to the practical engineering problems of ESP distribution in South China. Through the calculation results of different models, the simulation model that reflects the ideal of South China is identified.
China and the WTO: Why Multilateralism Matters

In China and the WTO: Why Multilateralism Matters, Petros Mavroidis and Andre Sapir highlight the challenges that China’s model of state capitalism poses to the liberal international trading system...
Chapter 15 Summary—Urinary Tract

Publisher Summary The chapter summarizes the work progress from laboratory on cell and explant culture of tubular epithelium to date. The kidney lags far behind all the organ systems in terms of in vitro explant or cell culture. However, relatively simple methods for isolation and purification of proximal tubule epithelial cells from either rat or human kidneys are described recently. Detailed studies of explant culture of human bladder by Dr. Knowles and coworkers are presented. New concepts of histophysiologic gradient culture of stratified epithelium, including chick embryo skin and normal rat bladder by Leighton and coworkers are also presented. These techniques are now easily utilized in human tissues. This method, which is a significant departure from usual explant culture techniques, does provide a system in which the role of diffusion gradients in tissue responses can be examined. Such gradients, Leighton asserts, have marked significance in differentiation, especially in multilayer epithelia, where a gradient of phenotypic expression occurs from the side nearest the blood vessel to the side nearest the environment or lumen. Little is presently known about progression from carcinoma in situ to invasive metastasizing neoplasms. Explant and/or cell culture provide excellent systems that improves knowledge of normal kidney structure and function substantially.
Meta-Reasoning for Data Analysis Tool Allocation

It is desirable that data analysis tools become more autonomous in managing their computational resources, minimizing risk and cost, assessing their errors, developing new representations, and integrating with other data analysis tools. To aid in this development we introduce a design for using Meta-Reasoning in a Data Analysis Tool Allocation system that employs analogical and structural reasoning to learn from and across domains and its experience. We give a formal definition of a “Data Analysis Game” that allows the implementation of a hierarchical learning framework suitable for describing and exploring real-world analysis problems. The framework may also be used to analyze the performance of the Tool Allocation system itself, allowing it to self-optimize. If the integration of tools is performed correctly, it should allow a cost-efficient level of performance not obtainable with a single tool alone or with unsystematic use of a group of tools.
Normal female sexual development requires neuregulin-erbB receptor signaling in hypothalamic astrocytes.

The initiation of mammalian puberty requires the activation of hypothalamic neurons secreting the neuropeptide luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH). It is thought that this activation is caused by changes in trans-synaptic input to LHRH neurons. More recently, it has been postulated that the pubertal increase in LHRH secretion in female animals also requires neuron–glia signaling mediated by growth factors of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) family and their astrocytic erbB receptors. Although it appears clear that functional astrocytic erbB1 receptors are necessary for the timely advent of puberty, the physiological contribution that erbB4 receptors may make to this process has not been established. To address this issue, we generated transgenic mice expressing a dominant-negative erbB4 receptor (DN–erbB4) under the control of the GFAP promoter, which targets transgene expression to astrocytes. DN–erbB4 expression is most abundant in hypothalamic astrocytes, where it blocks the ligand-dependent activation of glial erbB4 and erbB2 receptors, without affecting erbB1 (EGF) receptor signaling. Mice carrying the transgene exhibit delayed sexual maturation and a diminished reproductive capacity in early adulthood. These abnormalities are related to a deficiency in pituitary gonadotropin hormone secretion, caused by impaired release of LHRH, the hypothalamic neuropeptide that controls sexual development. In turn, the reduction in LHRH release is caused by the inability of hypothalamic astrocytes to respond to neuregulin (NRG) with production of prostaglandin E2, which in wild-type animals mediates the stimulatory effect of astroglial erbB receptor activation on neuronal LHRH release. Thus, neuron–astroglia communication via NRG-erbB4/2 receptor signaling appears to be essential for the timely unfolding of the developmental program by which the brain controls mammalian sexual maturation.
TRPCs as MS Channels

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews recent evidence indicating that canonical or classical transient receptor potential (TRPC) channels are directly or indirectly mechanosensitive (MS) and can therefore be designated as mechano-operated channels (MOCs). The MS functions of TRPCs may be mechanistically related to their better known functions as store-operated and receptor-operated channels (SOCs and ROCs). Mechanical forces may be conveyed to TRPC channels through the “conformational coupling” mechanism that transmits information regarding the status of internal Ca 2+ stores. All TRPCs are regulated by receptors coupled to phospholipases that are themselves MS and can regulate channels via lipidic second messengers. Accordingly, there may be several nonexclusive mechanisms by which mechanical forces may regulate TRPC channels, including direct sensitivity to bilayer mechanics, physical coupling to internal membranes and/or cytoskeletal proteins, and sensitivity to lipidic second messengers generated by MS enzymes. Various strategies that can be used for separating out different MS-gating mechanisms and their possible role in specific TRPCs are discussed.
Reversible renal hypertension. Clinical characteristics and predictive tests.

Abstract It is probable that between 5 and 15 per cent of all hypertension is renovascular in origin and potentially curable by surgery. Renovascular hypertension has no clear cut clinical pattern and may mimic all varieties of essential hypertension. The combination of the radioisotope renogram and the excretory urogram will usually serve to detect disparity in renal function or size between the two kidneys and thus indicate candidates for further diagnostic tests. Individual tests of kidney function often reveal a characteristic pattern in patients with unilateral renal ischemia; these tests, however, are tedious and not always specific. Renal arteriography serves to delineate the site and extent of renal arterial stenosis but is in no way predictive of surgical cure. Improvements and standardization of presently available diagnostic technics should result in a postoperative improvement rate greater than 80 per cent.
Theory of alkaline earth metabolism: The power function makes possible a simple but comprehensive model of skeletal systems

Abstract A simple way has been found to incorporate the power function, so useful in describing the retention of radioactive bone-seekers ( Norris, Tyler & Brues, 1958 ), into a metabolic model which agrees surprisingly well with data for the behavior of radioisotopes of calcium, strontium, barium, and radium in dog and in man. The power function (t−b) is a mathematical expression in which the independent variable (time) is raised to a constant power (usually not an integer). Although it has been considered merely an empirical device for approximating data, the power function may have a deeper significance concerning the evolution of complex systems. The behavior of the model can be completely determined by a set of three parameters. One such set is the excretion rate, the accretion rate, and the one-day retention of a radioisotope. The model can approximate the activity per gram of calcium both in the blood and in the body as a whole from minutes to years following either an intravenous injection or continuous feeding. The mathematics are applicable not only to adult but also to growing skeletal systems. Simple expressions relate the metabolic parameters defined by Bauer, Carlsson & Lindquist (1961) to the parameters of the power function as modified by Tyler (1958) and to the turnover rate derived by Kulp & Schulert (1962) from their data on Sr90 in man due to fallout. Thus two divergent groups of measurements of the average turnover time of the adult human skeleton, 5 to 6 years ( Bauer et al., 1961 ; Heaney & Whedon, 1958 ) and 30 to 40 years ( Kulp & Schulert, 1962 ; Bryant & Loutit, 1961 ) can be reconciled by a single model. Under certain conditions, one can predict the time required for a radioisotope to reach equilibrium within the body, the time after which retention must follow an exponential rather than a power function. Though, of course, its predictions are sometimes only rough approximations to biological data, the model strikes a useful compromise between accuracy and simplicity, thus providing a convenient means for interrelating existing experiments and suggesting new ones.
Combinatorial catalyst development methods

Combinatorial chemistry provides a means of rapidly screening electrocatalysts for use in fuel cells and related applications. The screening methods that have so far been applied to electrocatalyst arrays include indirect fluorescent detection, steady-state voltammetry, chronoamperometry, and scanning electrochemical microscopy. Several different types of anode and cathode electrocatalysts for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells have been studied by these techniques. Heuristic models based on mechanistic and spectroscopic studies of fuel cell catalysis are useful in guiding these searches for new catalyst compositions, and detailed studies of the catalysts already discovered can help to refine or augment these models. One of the outstanding challenges remaining in this area is to find ways to match more closely the synthesis/screening conditions of array catalysts with those of bulk catalysts used in real fuel cells. Keywords: combinatorial; direct methanol fuel cell; anode catalyst; cathode catalyst; bifunctional mechanism; regenerative fuel cell; glucose sensor; fluorescence; array electrode; scanning electrochemical microscopy
The selection of effector T cell phenotype by contrasuppression modulates susceptibility to autoimmune injury.

The genetic susceptibility to murine alpha TBM disease is a dominant trait that maps to H-2K. In previous studies we have shown that the critical difference between susceptible (SJL) and nonsusceptible (B10.S(8R] mice is the phenotype of the tubular Ag-specific effector T cells (TDTH). In SJL mice, these TDTH are Lyt-2+, whereas in B10.S(8R) mice the TDTH are L3T4+. These phenotypic differences have an important functional correlate: Lyt-2+ TDTH are nephritogenic, whereas L3T4+ TDTH are typically not nephritogenic. Both mouse strains have the potential to differentiate both L3T4+ and Lyt-2+ TDTH. The preferential selection of a single TDTH phenotype in each is the result of differential T cell regulation. In the present studies, we have examined the contribution of suppressor and contrasuppressor T cells in the regulation of TDTH phenotype selection. Our studies show that in both SJL and B10.(8R) mice, after exposure to Ag, a suppressor T cell subpopulation functions to inhibit the nephritogenic Lyt-2+ TDTH. In SJL, but not B10.S(8R) mice, this suppression is counterbalanced by Lyt-2+, Vicia Villosa lectin-adherent T cells. Such contrasuppressor function is mediated through a T cell-derived soluble protein (TcsF), which is Ag-binding and recognized by alpha I-JS antisera. This functional TcsF activity maps, as does susceptibility to disease, to H-2K. In the presence of genetically compatible TcsF, the TDTH phenotype in nonsusceptible mice switches to that of susceptible mice. These Lyt-2+ TDTH from nonsusceptible mice are fully capable of inducing tubulointerstitial nephritis following adoptive transfer. Our studies describe a new role for Tcs cells and augment our understanding of their etiopathogenetic role in autoimmunity.