cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Secondary Organic Aerosol Formation from Photo-Oxidation of Unburned Fuel: Experimental Results and Implications for Aerosol Formation from Combustion Emissions

We conducted photo-oxidation experiments in a smog chamber to investigate secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation from eleven different unburned fuels: commercial gasoline, three types of jet fuel, and seven different diesel fuels. The goals were to investigate the influence of fuel composition on SOA formation and to compare SOA production from unburned fuel to that from diluted exhaust. The trends in SOA production were largely consistent with differences in carbon number and molecular structure of the fuel, i.e., fuels with higher carbon numbers and/or more aromatics formed more SOA than fuels with lower carbon numbers and/or substituted alkanes. However, SOA production from different diesel fuels did not depend strongly on aromatic content, highlighting the important contribution of large alkanes to SOA formation from mixtures of high carbon number (lower volatility) precursors. In comparison to diesels, SOA production from higher volatility fuels such as gasoline appeared to be more sensitive to ar...
FIELD SURVEY OF CLEANING AND DISINFECTION EFFICACY FOR FLEXIBLE ENDOSCOPES

Objective To know the cleaning and disinfection efficacy of the flexible endoscopes and to explor the standard management.Methods Bacteriological examination and chemical analysis were used to test the cleaning and disinfection efficacy of endoscopes and the disinfectant used in hospitals.Results In 18 hospitals investigated,15 were qualified with disinfection.81 of the 84 endoscopes were qualified by inner sampling;the qualification rate was 96.4%.Among them,the qualification rate of the gastroscope,enteroscope and bronchoscope were 100%,96.2% and 92.9% respectively.The concentration and hygienic quality of the disinfectant used for the 84 endoscopes were all qualified.Conclusions Hospitals governed by the autonomous region of Guangxi did better in standard procedures of cleaning and disinfection of the flexible endoscopes.The qualification rates of cleaning and disinfection were high,but some management aspects still need to be improved.
The Effects of Social Concern on White-Collar Offending

ABSTRACTThis study tested Agnew’s social concern theory by examining empathy’s role on both street and white-collar offenses. As Agnew argued social concern elements would have both moderating and mediating effects with other causes of crime, how empathy interacted with low self-control was also assessed. Using an undergraduate sample, empathy was protective of credit card fraud, embezzlement, and shoplifting intentions. Although empathy did not interact with low self-control, empathy had indirect effects on shoplifting and embezzlement through its effects on low self-control. Empathy mediated the effects of low self-control on credit card fraud. Theoretical and policy implications are discussed.
Understanding Help-Seeking Behavior of Students’ in a Flipped Classroom: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

Help-seeking has long been recognized as an important self-regulated learning strategy that is associated with students’ academic goals and achievement. Although help-seeking is an important learning strategy that impacts achievement, not every student uses the strategy. The present research uses a structural equation modeling approach to examine college students’ self-reported help-seeking behavior in a flipped classroom. The findings indicate a significant influence of instructor support for help-seeking, relatedness with peers, and personal achievement goal orientations on students’ intentions to seek help and their preferences for the type of the help they prefer. Additionally, indirect effects mediated by the perceived costs and benefits of help-seeking were observed. The paper concludes with practical implications on promoting help-seeking in online environments.
Coupling Computer-Aided Process Simulation and Estimations of Emissions and Land Use for Rapid Life Cycle Inventory Modeling

A methodology is described for developing a gate-to-gate life cycle inventory (LCI) of a chemical manufacturing process to support the application of life cycle assessment in the design and regulation of sustainable chemicals. The inventories were derived by first applying process design and simulation to develop a process flow diagram describing the energy and basic material flows of the system. Additional techniques developed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency for estimating uncontrolled emissions from chemical processing equipment were then applied to obtain a detailed emission profile for the process. Finally, land use for the process was estimated using a simple sizing model. The methodology was applied to a case study of acetic acid production based on the Cativa process. The results reveal improvements in the qualitative LCI for acetic acid production compared to commonly used databases and top-down methodologies. The modeling techniques improve the quantitative LCI results for in...
Invisible but consequential: root endophytic fungi have variable effects on belowground plant–insect interactions

Endophytic fungi are ubiquitous in nature and can play important roles in regulating plant–herbivore interactions. While some aboveground obligate symbionts are considered defensive mutualists of host plants, the importance of root endophytes in plant defense, especially against root-feeding insects, remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effects of root fungal endophytes on plant resistance against belowground herbivores and the recovery of host plants from damage. We grew the common grass Festuca arundinacea (tall fescue) semi-aeroponically in the laboratory and inoculated roots with one of five fungal endophytes isolated from field-collected tall fescue or meadow soil. Endophyte-inoculated and uninoculated control plants were subjected to feeding by larvae of the generalist root herbivore Rhizotrogus majalis (European chafer). Herbivory intensity was quantified after eight days, and regrowth of roots and shoots following root herbivory and mechanical shoot damage was measured thereafter for each treatment. Fungal identifications by DNA sequence analysis were conducted after completion of the herbivory experiments and revealed that the five endophytes included the decomposer fungi Trametes versicolor and Mortierella alpina, the entomopathogenic fungi Isaria fumosorosea and Beauveria bassiana, and a potential plant pathogen/entomopathogen Fusarium cf. equiseti. The effects of these root endophytes on plant defense against root-feeding insects were species-specific. While four endophytes had few effects on plant resistance, endophytic B. bassiana significantly reduced herbivore damage to roots. In comparison, plant tolerance to damage was impaired after colonization by all endophyte species except T. versicolor and M. alpina. The contrasting effects of endophytes on plant resistance and plant tolerance suggest that research solely evaluating plant resistance is likely to overestimate the benefits conferred by endophytes without accounting for potential negative effects on plant tolerance. We propose a conceptual framework to include both plant resistance and tolerance as two dimensions of a defensive strategy and show that plant associations with different root endophytes may shift the relative importance of resistance and tolerance for plant defense.
Preparing direct care nurses to function as research coordinators in a heart failure study.

Background Nurses interviewed heart failure patients admitted to two rural hospitals, to learn what was important to them concerning their disease. Data from this study would inform a subsequent heart failure intervention study. The researchers gained a better appreciation of the role of direct care nurses in research coordination, recruitment and data collection. Aim To describe lessons learned during this research about using direct care nurses as research coordinators. Discussion The direct care nurses were highly motivated and engaged in the research, identifying barriers and solutions to enrolling heart failure patients in the hospital. The researchers developed customised educational materials and data management documents to address the nurses' learning needs, ensuring compliance with protocol and the safety of participants. Conclusion Nurse researchers can establish an effective partnership with direct care nurses when conducting research studies. To accommodate learning needs and workplace demands, securing protected time for nurses to complete training, budgeting for administrative support and monitoring recruitment data weekly, as opposed to monthly, may be considered. Implications for practice Direct care nurses can inform the design and conduct of research conducted in a hospital.
Chapter 2 Phases of Diagenesis and Authigenesis

Summary A review of marine sedimentological data leads to a classification of three phases of diagenesis; these are: ( a ) syndiagenesis (marked by syngenetic authigenesis in two stages, initial or oxidizing and early burial or reducing), that lasts from 1, 000 up to about 100, 000 years and may extend to depths from about 1 to 100 m; ( b ) anadiagenesis (marked by hypogene authigenesis, i.e., non-magmatic ascending waters and “natural chromatography”), extending from 10 3 to 10 8 years, and 1 to 10, 000 m depth; ( c ) epidiagenesis (marked by deep meteoric waters and epigene authigenesis) that may by-pass anadiagenesis, due to tectonism, and may extend from 10 3 to 10 9 years, and in depth about 1 to 3, 000 m. Many authigenic minerals formed during different stages of diagenesis may be experimentally duplicated, but much remains to be done.
Intentional Replantation Techniques: A Critical Review.

Abstract Introduction Techniques and armamentarium for intentional replantation have varied throughout the years with no universally accepted clinical treatment guidelines. A wide range of success rates has been reported, and accordingly, this treatment method has often been regarded as a treatment of last resort. However, recent studies have shown more consistent success rates as high as 88% to 95%. In light of these new studies, intentional replantation may now be considered a more commonly accepted treatment modality. The purpose of this review was to critically examine reported techniques for intentional replantation. Methods A search of the literature on intentional replantation techniques was performed using electronic databases including PubMed, Medline, and Scopus. A total of 3183 articles were generated and screened for relevance based on defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Subsequently, 27 studies were included for critical review of technique. Results There has been an evolution in technique for intentional replantation over the decades. Conclusions Numerous aspects of the procedure exhibit variations, whereas other aspects exhibit considerable consistency. Few studies reported techniques consistent with modern endodontic surgical principles.
Synthesis and mechanical properties of flame retardant vinyl ester resin for structural composites

Abstract Halogen-based fire retardants are often used to reduce flammability and improve the fire resistance properties of polymers and fiber-reinforced polymer composites (FRPs). Brominated vinyl ester resins (Br-VERs) are a class of halogenated polymer matrices that are economically viable, high performance materials that are widely utilized in composites for specialty applications, such as the fabrication of hulls in naval vessels. In this work, Br-VE polymer is synthesized from tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) and glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) precursors, and which can be derived from the wastes of the biodiesel and wood pulp industries, respectively. The Br-VE reaction products are analyzed by 1H NMR and the presence of unreacted (nonfunctional), monofunctional and difunctional TBBPA are confirmed. A baseline formulation of difunctional Br-VE and styrene (40 wt %) is mixed with a commercial brominated vinyl ester resin (Derakane 510-40A) in ratios of 20, 50 and 80 pph. Two reduced styrene content formulations of Br-VER (30 wt % styrene and 20 wt % styrene) were also prepared. The thermomechanical properties of all seven neat resin formulations were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), rheology and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). The autocatalytic cure kinetics parameters and chemorheological behavior enable development of a cure cycle for the thermosetting resin. The DMA results demonstrate that all resin formulations comprising Br-VER exhibit improved mechanical performance as compared to the commercial vinyl ester resin.
Emergency department management of sexually transmitted infections in US adolescents: results from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey.

Abstract Study objective Adolescents are at risk for developing a variety of sexually transmitted infections for many reasons. Many of these adolescents present to the emergency department (ED) for their care. We describe the management of adolescent sexually transmitted infections in US EDs. Methods Data were obtained from the 1992 to 1998 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey. All visits by adolescents aged 12 to 19 years were identified by any International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision code related to sexually transmitted infections. Treatment was reviewed and compared with existing guidelines from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine the independent association of each of the following variables on antibiotic prescribing rates: sex, race and ethnicity, hospital location, age, and insurance. Results Eighteen thousand nine hundred ninety-nine records that represented 70,693,603 adolescent visits to US EDs were identified during the 7-year study period, of which 351 records representing 1.2 million visits were for a sexually transmitted infection. Mean age was 17.1 years, and 92% were female patients. Overall, 80% of patients diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection were treated (received antibiotics or were admitted to the hospital); 91% of patients had pelvic inflammatory disease and 71% of patients had other sexually transmitted infections. Eight percent of patients diagnosed with pelvic inflammatory disease were admitted to the hospital. However, treatment for female patients with pelvic inflammatory disease was fully compliant with CDC recommendations in only 35% of cases (95% confidence interval [CI] 19% to 45%) and partially compliant in another 45%; 20% (95% CI 12% to 31%) of patients received either no treatment or treatment not in accordance with guidelines. Male patients were more likely to be treated for sexually transmitted infection (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 6.3; 95% CI 1.0 to 38.7), and Hispanic patients were less likely (adjusted OR 0.3; 95% CI 0.1 to 0.9) to be treated. Age, insurance type, and hospital location were not a factor in receiving antibiotics. For female patients who had a sexually transmitted infection, only 43% had a pregnancy test done, and of all adolescents diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection, only 1 (0.3%) had an HIV test performed. Conclusion Significant numbers of adolescents sought care for sexually transmitted infections in US EDs. Evaluation and treatment of these adolescents is not optimal. Male patients are more likely to be treated for a sexually transmitted infection. Hispanic patients are less likely to be treated for a sexually transmitted infection. Pelvic inflammatory disease is not always treated with antibiotics, and few patients with pelvic inflammatory disease are admitted to the hospital. HIV testing was almost never done. Further study is necessary to explain these disparities and optimize care.
Lidar detection of small aerosol size distribution

The major unknown in the global climate radiation balance calculations is the effect of aerosols. The extinction of aerosols depends upon the wavelength, size, concentration, composition, and to a lesser extent, shape of the aerosols. Thus, methods are needed to determine and model these quantities. The size distribution of larger aerosols can be monitored with multistatic lidar, at least in the spherical approximation. We can use this approximation in humid environments, and for old desert dusts in which the aspect ratio is typically below two. Aerosols that are small compared to the incident wavelength present a Rayleigh-like scattering dependence, and the size cannot be determined using multistatic lidar techniques. We discuss the analysis of true extinction from Raman lidar measurements at several wavelengths for determining the size distribution of aerosols. The Angstrom ratio, which is the natural log of the extinction ratio divided by the natural log of the wavelength ratio, has been used in column-integrated measurements to classify aerosols. Lidar backscatter Angstrom ratio measurements have also been used to classify aerosols as a function of range. However, the use for aerosol size distribution has not been investigated in detail before this work. We find, from Raman lidar measurements, Mie models of extinction and backscatter Angstrom ratios, that small aerosols make a significant contribution to optical scattering, and find that size information can be extracted from the lidar data.
Introduction to Rao (1948) Large Sample Tests of Statistical Hypotheses Concerning Several Parameters with Applications to Problems of Estimation

Professor Calyampudi Radhakrishna Rao has emerged as one of the most outstanding mathematical statisticians of our time, and his fundamental research contributions covering a wider spectrum of mathematical statistics, design of experiment, combinatorial mathematics, multivariate analysis, information theory, sample surveys, biometry, econometrics, and a variety of other fields, span over a period of little more than 50 years. While C.R. Rao, currently in his mid-seventies, has been embarking on new research projects, the classical work he accomplished in the 1940s is gaining new momentum through vigorous extensions, fruitful applications in diverse fields, and novel interpretations. In Breakthroughs in Statistics, Volume 1, Dr. P.K. Pathak has written an Introduction to another outstanding (1945) article of C.R. Rao, relating to the classical Cramer—Rao Inequality, wherein he has also made detailed comments on Rao’s significant contributions in related fields. In view of this, we will avoid the duplications, and mainly confine ourselves to the scientific aspects of the current article and its profound impact on up-to-date developments in statistical inference and its applications.
Formation of methyl sterols in brain cholesterol biosynthesis. Sterol formation in vitro in actively myelinating rat brain.

Abstract A study was made of the methyl sterols involved in sterol biosynthesis in developing rat brain. In addition to the determination of the endogenous sterols present in 15-day-old rat brain, experiments were conducted to establish which of these sterols could be labeled by a minced tissue preparation in the presence of [2-14C]mevalonic acid. The turnover of [14C]lanosterol, [4-3H]squalene oxide, and [14C]squalene by minced preparations was also shown. In the experiments involving incubation of labeled mevalonic acid with minced tissue preparations, the diunsaturated methyl sterols had a larger degree of labeling than the monounsaturated methyl sterols. Labeled squalene was also shown to be present in the mevalonate incubations. Under these in vitro conditions cholesterol was not found to be significantly labeled. Endogenous sterols of two types were examined, those occurring as steryl esters and those that were unesterified. A comparison of the distribution of sterols in these two fractions indicated a relatively small percentage of cholesterol (54.3%) in the steryl ester fraction. Based on gas chromatographic retention data and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, the following sterols were identified: lanosterol, 4,4-dimethyl-5α-cholesta-8,24-dien-3β-ol, 4,4-dimethyl-5α-cholest-8-en-3β-ol, 4α-methyl-5α-cholest-8-en-3β-ol, 4α-methyl-5α-cholesta-8,24-dien-3β-ol, 4α-methyl-5α-cholesta-7,24-dien-3β-ol, 4α-methyl-5α-cholest-7-en-3β-ol, 5α-cholesta-7,24-dien-3β-ol, desmosterol, and cholesterol.
The Legal System

In an earlier chapter, chapter IV, I noted what a legal system is from the point of view of justice; here I must consider justice from the point of view of a legal system. We will encounter here, then, many of the same points, but this time in a quite different and more specific connection.
Synthesis, and Crystal and Electronic Structures, of the Titanium-Rich Bismuthides AE3Ti8Bi10 ( AE = Sr, Ba, Eu).

Three isotypic compounds with the chemical formula AE3Ti8Bi10 (AE = Sr, Ba, Eu) have been obtained via both high-temperature solid state and flux growth reactions. Their crystal structure, representing a new type (space group P63/mmc, Pearson symbol hP42), features an open framework composed of interlinked TiBi5 square pyramids and TiBi6 octahedra. The Ti–Bi substructure is penetrated by infinite columns of face-sharing AE6 polyhedra centered by Bi atoms. First-principle calculations and physical property measurements indicate metallic behavior and absence of localized magnetic moments on the Ti atoms. Analysis of the chemical bonding reveals strong Ti–Bi and Ti–Ti bonds. The latter demonstrate classic two-center, as well as multicenter, interactions.
Procedurally generated environments for simulating RSSI- localization applications

Received signal strength indicator (RSSI) is often used in wireless localization applications as it attenuates as the signal propagates through the environment. Signal strength attenuation models allow distance to be estimated between transceivers and utilized in positioning techniques, such as trilateration and simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) algorithms. To evaluate these methods, it is costly and time consuming to construct hardware to physically test each implementation of an algorithm. However, simulating RSSI can prove difficult due the many environmental factors that impact attenuation, such as multipath interference. Simulating multipath effects require detailed information about the operating environment's properties (geometry, materials), and can be computationally expensive. This work describes a simulation method which procedurally generates RSSI values at given distances for wireless nodes utilizing collected data from a given environment type and a Markov chain. To demonstrate the effectiveness of this method, a range-only SLAM algorithm is simulated utilizing this environment.
Process-Model-Driven Guidance to Reduce Surgical Procedure Errors: An Expert Opinion

This paper explains how a detailed, precise surgical process model can help reduce errors by fostering better understanding, providing guidance during surgery, helping train newcomers, and by supporting process improvement. It describes the features that a process-modeling language should have in order to support the precise specification of such models.
Diallyl trisulfide inhibits in vitro angiogenesis in endothelial cells in association with caspase-dependent apoptosis and inactivation of Akt.

5608 Garlic-derived organosulfur compounds such as diallyl sulfide (DAS), diallyl disulfide (DADS) and diallyl trisulfide (DATS) have been shown to afford significant protection against cancer in animal models induced by a variety of chemical carcinogens. Evidence is accumulating to indicate that garlic-derived OSC analogues can also suppress proliferation of cancer cells by causing apoptosis and/or cell cycle arrest. We now demonstrate, for the first time, that DATS is a potent inhibitor of in vitro angiogenic features of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). Survival of HUVEC was reduced significantly in the presence of DATS in a concentration-dependent manner as determined by trypan blue dye exclusion assay. DATS was significantly more effective than either DAS or DADS against proliferation of HUVEC. The DATS-mediated suppression of HUVEC survival was associated with apoptosis induction characterized by accumulation of sub-diploid cells, cytoplasmic histone associated DNA fragmentation, and cleavage of caspase-3 and poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase (PARP). The DATS-induced cleavage of caspase-3 and PARP as well as DNA fragmentation was significantly attenuated on treatment with pan caspase inhibitor zVAD-fmk and specific inhibitors of caspase-9 and caspase-8. The DATS treatment inhibited capillary-like tube structure formation and migration by HUVEC in association with suppression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) secretion as determined by an ELISA assay and VEGF receptor-2 protein level as determined by immunoblotting, and inactivation of Akt kinase as determined by immunoprecipitation-kinase assay. The DATS treatment also caused activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) and c-Jun N- terminal kinase (JNK), but not p38 mitogen activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK). The DATS-mediated apoptosis induction and inhibition of HUVEC tube formation was partially but statistically significantly attenuated by pharmacologic inhibition of ERK1/2 but not JNK or p38 MAPK. In conclusion, the present study indicates that the DATS-mediated inhibition of in vitro angiogenesis in HUVEC is associated with caspase-dependent apoptosis, inactivation of Akt, suppression of VEGF secretion, down-regulation of VEGF-R2 protein expression, and activation of ERK1/2. We speculate that apoptosis induction alone can’t fully explain DATS-mediated inhibition of angiogenesis in HUVEC. Supported in part by NCI grants CA113363, CA101753 and CA115498.
Hybrid GPR Layer Picking Method Using Average Square Difference Function

The paper outlines a novel approach for the detection and selection of layer information from Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) profiles over many kilometers. Previous methods have focused on systems to aid humans in the process of manual picking or complete automation. Here we present our hybrid approach where a first algorithmic pass is modified by the human operator, selecting sections on which the algorithm is to be rerun with an alternative starting position. The process is iterative and works through the file from the location of the user selection both forward and backward. The layer picking algorithm itself is based on the average square difference function calculated between the trace of interest and the adjacent trace. Similar to a gradient descent algorithm, it does very well at following ridges or troughs within an image, but can be misled by noisy regions (which can describe much of the typical GPR data). In this paper, the methodology is applied to determine layer information from snow and firn from which measures of accumulation can be derived. The GPR data were acquired by snowmobile during a 2017 Greenland traverse.
Chapter 7 – Respiratory Diseases

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the general respiratory system structure and function as well as associated diagnostic approaches and respiratory problems in nonhuman primates. The respiratory system is divided into three parts: (1) upper respiratory system including the nasal cavities, nasopharynx, pharynx, larynx, trachea, and bronchi, (2) lower respiratory system comprising lungs, and (3) pulmonary circulatory and lymphatic systems. The upper respiratory tract diseases discussed in the chapter are rhinitis, nasal polyposis, sinusitis, epistaxis, and neoplasia. The lower respiratory tract diseases are asthma, atelectasis, fetal distress, circulatory disturbances, lung inflammation, and adult respiratory distress syndrome. The most common disorder of the diaphragm is diaphragmatic hernia that may be present as an acute, subacute, or chronic disorder. In the human primate, respiratory viral infections in the form of the “flu” and the “common cold” are familiar and annoying conditions caused by the agents of several genera, including rhinoviruses, adenoviruses, paramyxoviruses, and orthomyxoviruses (influenza A and B). The diagnostic procedure in any respiratory disease always includes history and physical examination. Radiographic imaging is the third common information source upon which the differential diagnostic list for respiratory diseases is initially established.
Thrombocytopenia Secondary to Herpes Simplex Virus-2 Infection Successfully Treated by Acyclovir.

Thrombocytopenia is a common clinical condition associated with a wide variety of clinical conditions including infections, malignancy, medications, liver disorder, and autoimmune conditions, etc. The association between thrombocytopenia and herpes simplex virus (HSV) is reported only once in a case report dating back to 1978. We report a case of a 66-year-old female with generalized weakness, mechanical fall, genital ulcerations, and breast fold and genital area skin redness, warmth, and mild tenderness. Initial labs showed mild leukocytosis, normal platelet count, mild lactic acidosis, and urine analysis suggestive of urinary tract infection. The patient was started on broad-spectrum antibiotics. During the course of hospitalization, the patient developed severe thrombocytopenia with platelet counts dropping less than 40000/μL (normal range: 150,000-450,000/μL), and genital pain and ulceration worsened. The genital swab was sent which came back positive for the HSV-2 virus. Soon after the start of acyclovir for HSV-2 infection, the genital pain and ulceration improved and platelet counts gradually increased to 157,000/μL. Other causes of thrombocytopenia such as sepsis, heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, consumptive coagulopathy, medication-induced thrombocytopenia, immune thrombocytopenia, and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura were ruled out.
Distribution System State Estimation: A Primer for Application Based Research

Not surprisingly, distribution system state estimation (DSSE) has become a hot topic with increasing levels of customer owned/operated distributed energy resources (DER) and utilities investing in more distribution automation (DA) schemes for improved operations, protection and reliability. Recent research in DSSE has largely focused on the methods of calculating the state estimate while neglecting the use or application of the tool set. Nearly all modern distribution management system (DMS) vendors offer a stable and reliable DSSE solution. Applications specific to DSSE are presented along with the different challenges for formulating and applying DSSE compared to more traditional bulk system state estimation and power flows. This paper is not intended to be a review document, but a primer for the application and development of how best to apply DSSE to the operation of electric distribution systems.
Thermophysical properties of U3Si2 to 1773K

Abstract Use of U 3 Si 2 in nuclear reactors requires accurate thermophysical property data to capture heat transfer within the core. Compilation of the limited previous research efforts focused on the most critical property, thermal conductivity, reveals extensive disagreement. Assessment of this data is challenged by the fact that the critical structural and chemical details of the material used to provide historic data is either absent or confirms the presence of significant impurity phases. This study was initiated to fabricate high purity U 3 Si 2 to quantify the coefficient of thermal expansion, heat capacity, thermal diffusivity, and thermal conductivity from room temperature to 1773 K. Datasets provided in this manuscript will facilitate more detailed fuel performance modeling to assess both current and proposed reactor designs that incorporate U 3 Si 2 .
Problems at the Beginning of Life

When problems involve children we tend to look at them in a different way than we look at similar problems involving older (and especially elderly) patients. Reasons for this attitude are briefly examined. Specific problems occurring at the beginning of life are discussed. Abortion is examined in its historical and philosophical setting. The problem of abortion is used to examine the probity of legislating the moral beliefs of one particular group and thereby restraining the rest of the community. Other problems examined in this section are problems of defective newborns, the use of anencephalics as organ donors, informed consent in the pediatric age group, surrogacy, forced C-section, and fetal abuse. The economic aspects of these problems are very briefly considered.
91 – Mathematical Modeling

Surgical research embraces many disciplines, ranging from molecular biology to human physiology. Irrespective of the physical scale that characterizes a particular project, most surgical investigators will confront some significant aspect of their research that will benefit from—if not explicitly require—mathematical modeling. A mathematical model is a tool with which an investigator encapsulates hypotheses concerning the behavior of an object over time into mathematical relationships, at least some of which refer to measurable parameters. Mathematical models are ubiquitous in surgical care. Some are expressed as informal rules, such as the “three-for-one rule” (which states that three volumes of a balanced salt infusion are required to compensate for each volume of acute blood loss). This rule originates from experiments showing that water and small ions readily equilibrate across blood vessel walls into the interstitial compartment, and from a model that envisions the interstitial compartment to be twice as large as the intravascular compartment. Other mathematical models are more formal, such as the pharmacokinetic models that guide administration of aminoglycoside antibiotics. The nomograms that surgical residents use to make dose adjustments are simply graphic representations of models of the aqueous compartments and the predicted clearance rate of the drug. Each patient is viewed as an individual experiment, with the model offering continuous predictions about plasma concentrations. Measuring the patient's plasma level of the drug at a particular time is a test of the model, not of the patient. An accurate prediction merely indicates that the dose may be left unchanged. An inaccurate prediction does something more—it not only indicates to the surgeon that the dose must be changed but also suggests that the model contains relations that are inaccurate or incomplete.
Ideal binary masking in reverberation

The ideal binary mask has been established as a computational goal of binary time-frequency masking approaches to sound separation through experiments that show large speech intelligibility gains for both normal-hearing and hearing-impaired listeners. The ideal binary mask is commonly defined using a signal-to-noise ratio threshold for binary decisions called the local criterion. Recently the ideal binary mask definition was extended to deal with reverberant signals by introducing the reflection boundary, a division point between early and late reflections, which allows target reflections to be treated as either part of the desired signal or as noise. The current study refines the conclusion in previous work by analyzing the effects of both the reflection boundary and local criterion parameters. Experimental results show that ideal binary masks defined with reflection boundaries of 100 ms or less can produce significant intelligibility improvements, which establishes that binary masking can be effective for both noise reduction and dereverberation. Further, results show that to achieve intelligibility gains, early reflections should be preserved by the binary mask while late reflections should be treated as noise.
Five questions: An integrated research agenda for Public Choice *

All societies, political or academic, must choose among alternatives; these choices can be good, or bad. The worst choice may be looking for“answers” before there is consensus, or at least a debate, on what the real questions should be. Five “real” questions are offered here, in an integrated research agenda for Public Choice. My premis is that there is a single, fundamental human problem: Construct or preserve institutions that make self-interested individual action not inconsistent with group welfare. All social science research is either a distraction, or a step toward understanding at least one of five questions: (1) What are Preferences? (2) What are feasible Alternatives? (3) How much does the form of Implementation affect the way alternatives are valued? (4) How do alternatives chosen Today affect the Menu of alternatives available in the Future? (5) What is Good? How would we know if some outcomes are better than others?
Isotopic evidence for extraterrestrial non- racemic amino acids in the Murchison meteorite

Many amino acids contain an asymmetric centre, occurring as laevorotatory, L, or dextrorotatory, D, compounds. It is generally assumed that abiotic synthesis of amino acids on the early Earth resulted in racemic mixtures (L- and D-enantiomers in equal abundance). But the origin of life required, owing to conformational constraints, the almost exclusive selection of either L- or D-enantiomers, and the question of why living systems on the Earth consist of L-enantiomers rather than D-enantiomers is unresolved. A substantial fraction of the organic compounds on the early Earth may have been derived from comet and meteorite impacts. It has been reported previously that amino acids in the Murchison meteorite exhibit an excess of L-enantiomers, raising the possibility that a similar excess was present in the initial inventory of organic compounds on the Earth. The stable carbon isotope compositions of individual amino acids in Murchison support an extraterrestrial origin -- rather than a terrestrial overprint of biological amino acids-although reservations have persisted. Here we show that individual amino-acid enantiomers from Murchison are enriched in 15N relative to their terrestrial counterparts, so confirming an extraterrestrial source for an L-enantiomer excess in the Solar System that may predate the origin of life on the Earth.
Carbon Flow through the Hepatic Folate-Dependent One-Carbon Pool Is Not Altered in Vitamin A-Deficient Rats

Vitamin A status can influence a number of enzymes and coenzymes involved in folate-dependent one-carbon metabolism as well as subsequent methyl group metabolism. Tracer kinetic techniques were used in the present study to assess the physiological importance of vitamin A deficiency on the de novo synthesis of methionine via the hepatic folate-dependent one-carbon pool. Vitamin A-deficient (0 retinol equivalents (RE) retinyl palmitate/g diet) rats were fed their respective diet for 11 wk, whereas control rats (1.2 RE retinyl palmitate/g diet) were food restricted to match the growth rate exhibited by the vitamin A-deficient group. After the dietary treatment period, duodenal cannulated rats were continuously infused with L-[3-(14)C] serine and L-[methyl-(3)H] methionine until a plateau specific radioactivity was exhibited with respect to the hepatic serine and methionine pools, indicating a steady state had been achieved. The hepatic concentration of both S-adenosylmethionine a S-adenosylhomocysteine were elevated in vitamin A-deficient rats. However, Vitamin A-deficient rats exhibited similar kinetic values compared with control rats fed a vitamin A-sufficient diet. The irreversible loss rate of hepatic serine and methionine, the transfer quotient from serine to methionine and the folate-dependent flow of carbon to methionine from serine were unaffected by vitamin A status. These studies demonstrate that vitamin A deficiency does not affect the reductive carbon flow from serine to methionine because the ability to generate methionine via remethylation of homocysteine with the carbon group originating from serine was not altered in vitamin A-deficient rats. Furthermore, the data illustrate the importance of using tracer kinetic techniques to quantify metabolic flux under steady-state conditions in vivo, thereby evaluating the consequences of an abnormal condition on a physiological and functional basis.
Dissemination, Implementation, and Improvement Science Research in Population Health: Opportunities for Public Health and CTSAs

Importance The complex, dynamic nature of health systems requires dissemination, implementation, and improvement (DII) sciences to effectively translate emerging knowledge into practice. Although they hold great promise for informing multisector policies and system-level changes, these methods are often not strategically used by public health. Objectives and Methods More than 120 stakeholders from Southern California, including the community, federal and local government, university, and health services were convened to identify key priorities and opportunities for public health departments and Clinical and Translational Science Awards programs (CTSAs) to advance DII sciences in population health. Main Outcomes Participants identified challenges (mismatch of practice realities with narrowly focused research questions; lack of iterative learning) and solutions (using methods that fit the dynamic nature of the real world; aligning theories of change across sectors) for applying DII science research to public health problems. Pragmatic steps that public health and CTSAs can take to facilitate DII science research include: employing appropriate study designs; training scientists and practicing professionals in these methods; securing resources to advance this work; and supporting team science to solve complex-systems issues. Conclusions Public health and CTSAs represent a unique model of practice for advancing DII research in population health. The partnership can inform policy and program development in local communities. Clin Trans Sci 2015; Volume #: 1–7
Characteristics of gastroesophageal reflux in adults with cystic fibrosis.

Abstract Background Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) in adults with cystic fibrosis (CF) is poorly characterized. This study examines the frequency and predictors of GER symptoms and their relationship to lung function in adults with CF. Methods Cross-sectional study of adults at the University of Minnesota CF Clinic using two validated self report surveys: The Mayo GER questionnaire and the GERD Symptom Assessment Scale (GSAS). Results Of 274 invited patients, 201 (73%) completed the surveys and 173 performed spirometry at the same visit. Frequent symptoms (at least weekly) were reported by 24% of the patients and an additional 39% experienced occasional symptoms. Heartburn, acid regurgitation and dysphagia were the most common symptoms and 18% reported that GER symptoms worsened their respiratory condition. Females and patients reporting weight loss had more symptoms (mean GSAS symptom score 4.9 vs. 4.0, p=0.025 and 5.3 vs. 4.2, p=0.04) and more severe symptoms (mean GSAS distress score 5.6 vs. 3.8, p=0.005 and 6.8 vs. 4.0, p=0.01) compared to males and those who did not report weight loss. Patients on acid suppression (n=122, 61%) continued to report heartburn (n=80, 66%) and acid regurgitation (n=47, 23%). GER symptoms and severity of symptoms were not predictive of FEV 1 or FVC. Conclusions GER symptoms were present in a majority of patients. Females and patients with weight loss require special attention to their GER symptoms. Many patients on acid suppression continued to be report symptoms.
The Challenges Confronting Children of Incarcerated Parents

This article integrates the literature describing the developmental challenges faced by children of incarcerated adults with self-reports of incarcerated parents, children, and children's caretakers. The purpose of this integration is to focus attention on the extent and depth of the problems facing children and families that result from criminal behavior and incarceration of parents. These include intergenerational patterns of criminal behavior, poor school outcomes, and increased rates of substance abuse and behavioral disorders. The article further describes patterns of interaction among families of incarcerated parents, and obstacles that prevent adaptation to parental incarceration. Recommendations for clinicians are presented.
Molecular models and simulations of layered materials

The micro- to nano-sized nature of layered materials, particularly characteristic of naturally occurring clay minerals, limits our ability to fully interrogate their atomic dispositions and crystal structures. The low symmetry, multicomponent compositions, defects, and disorder phenomena of clays and related phases necessitate the use of molecular models and modern simulation methods. Computational chemistry tools based on classical force fields and quantum-chemical methods of electronic structure calculations provide a practical approach to evaluate structure and dynamics of the materials on an atomic scale. Combined with classical energy minimization, molecular dynamics, and Monte Carlo techniques, quantum methods provide accurate models of layered materials such as clay minerals, layered double hydroxides, and clay–polymer nanocomposites.
Normal aging: regionally specific changes in hippocampal synaptic transmission

Results of electrophysiological investigations of aging in the rodent hippocampus contradict the popular conception of the aging process as one of general deterioration. Such studies have revealed a selective pattern of both degenerative change and functional sparing in different physiological parameters of the same cells. In synaptic transmission, changes have been observed that might even be considered compensatory. The selectivity of the aging process is further demonstrated by the fact that it exhibits clear regional specificity, even among the different subfields of the hippocampus. The future challenges will be to understand both how these specific patterns of age-related neurobiological change arise, and how they lead to the cognitive changes that arise during normal aging.
Extensions to the Taguchi method of product design

The Taguchi method of product design is an experimental approximation to minimizing the expected value of target variance for certain classes of problems. Taguchi’s method is extended to designs which involve variables each of which has a range of values all of which must be satisfied (^necessity), and designs which involve variables each of which has a range of values any of which might be used (^possibility). Tuning parameters, as a part of the design process, are also introduced into Taguchi’s method. The method is also extended to solve design problems with constraints, invoking the methods of constrained optimization. Finally, the Taguchi method uses a factorial method to search the design space, with a confined definition of an optimal solution. This is compared with other methods of searching the design space and their definition of an optimal solution.