cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Architecture for green mobile network powered from renewable energy in microgrid configuration

This paper introduces an architecture for powering green mobile networks with a majority of renewable sources. The architecture makes use of wind turbines and photovoltaic panels as sources of electric power for cellular base stations. The electric power generators are located within the cellular network in a microgrid configuration. The microgrid configuration allows for a more efficient management of electric resources and a more resilient cellular system architecture. In addition, the microgid configuration allows for a management of the cellular network resources more tightly coupled with the electric power grid status and viceversa. The presented results will show that it is possible to power a cellular network from renewable source for us much as 90 % of the time. This work also discussed traffic shaping and management techniques so as to power off one cell to increase the use of renewable energy sources even when the traffic is not at a low level. The technique is effective in maintaining within reasonable values the reduction of voice traffic quality and the increasing in data queuing delay.
SEXUAL SEGREGATION IN RUMINANTS: DEFINITIONS, HYPOTHESES, AND IMPLICATIONS FOR CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT

The concept of sexual segregation was 1st formally proposed by Charles Darwin. Among mammals, ruminants have been the focus of most research on this phenomenon. Sexual segregation has been defined traditionally as the differential use of space (and often habitat and forage) by sexes outside the mating season, but other hypotheses related to activity patterns of sexes recently have been forwarded. These new hypotheses, however, cannot explain the spatial separation of sexes or their differential use of habitats and forages. Sexual segregation should be considered in a niche framework wherein overlap on 1 niche axis is accompanied by avoidance on another, including space, diet, and habitat. Moreover, sexual segregation is scale sensitive, which limits the usefulness of a comparative approach in investigating differences among species or populations. Failure to discriminate between the potential evolutionary causes of sexual dimorphism in ruminants has led to confusion over whether polygyny or intersexual competition has led to sexual segregation. Neither exploitive nor interference competition, wherein males are competitively excluded by females, is a likely cause of sexual segregation. I suggest that the gastrocentric model, which invokes allometric and life-history differences between sexes, or risk of predation are the only hypotheses necessary to explain sexual segregation. Additional research, however, is necessary to verify some aspects of those hypotheses. The management and conservation of ruminants requires consideration that sexes behave as if they were different species, which holds consequences for estimating populations, manipulating harvest and habitats, and the potential spread of diseases and parasites and might have genetic consequences for some populations. This review attempts to resolve long-standing problems related to studies of sexual segregation, but much research remains to be accomplished, including more manipulative experiments.
New Trapping Mechanism in Carbon Sequestration

The modes of geologic storage of CO2 are usually categorized as structural, dissolution, residual, and mineral trapping. Here we argue that the heterogeneity intrinsic to sedimentary rocks gives rise to a fifth category of storage, which we call local capillary trapping. Local capillary trapping occurs during buoyancy-driven migration of bulk phase CO2 within a saline aquifer. When the rising CO2 plume encounters a region (10 −2 to 10 +1 m) where capillary entry pressure is locally larger than average, CO2 accumulates beneath the region. This form of storage differs from structural trapping in that much of the accu- mulated saturation will not escape, should the integrity of the seal overlying the aquifer be compromised. Local capillary trapping differs from residual trapping in that the accumu- lated saturation can be much larger than the residual saturation for the rock. We examine local capillary trapping in a series of numerical simulations. The essential feature is that the drainage curves (capillary pressure versus saturation for CO2 displacing brine) are required to be consistent with permeabilities in a heterogeneous domain. In this work, we accomplish this with the Leverett J -function, so that each grid block has its own drainage curve, scaled from a reference curve to the permeability and porosity in that block. We find that capillary heterogeneity controls the path taken by rising CO2. The displacement front is much more ramified than in a homogeneous domain, or in a heterogeneous domain with a single drainage curve. Consequently, residual trapping is overestimated in simulations that ignore capillary heterogeneity. In the cases studied here, the reduction in residual trapping is compensated by local capillary trapping, which yields larger saturations held in a smaller volume of pore space. Moreover, the amount of CO2 phase remaining mobile after a leak develops in the caprock is smaller. Therefore, the extent of immobilization in a heterogeneous formation exceeds that reported in previous studies of buoyancy-driven plume movement.
Differential Gene Expression in Glaucoma

In glaucoma, regardless of its etiology, retinal ganglion cells degenerate and eventually die. Although age and elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) are the main risk factors, there are still many mysteries in the pathogenesis of glaucoma. The advent of genome-wide microarray expression screening together with the availability of animal models of the disease has allowed analysis of differential gene expression in all parts of the eye in glaucoma. This review will outline the findings of recent genome-wide expression studies and discuss their commonalities and differences. A common finding was the differential regulation of genes involved in inflammation and immunity, including the complement system and the cytokines transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα). Other genes of interest have roles in the extracellular matrix, cell-matrix interactions and adhesion, the cell cycle, and the endothelin system.
Reflex actions of muscle afferents on fusimotor innervation in decerebrated cats: an assessment of beta contributions

The existence of beta innervation in many cat muscles raises the possibility that spindle afferent discharge will excite beta motoneurons, augmenting spindle afferent discharge and thereby closing a positive feedback loop. In order to evaluate the strength of such a loop through beta motoneurons and muscle spindles, the stretch responses of muscle spindle afferents from medial gastrocnemius (MG) and soleus (SOL) muscles were studied in decerebrated cats before and after dorsal root section. If a positive feedback loop were operational, the spindle afferent stretch response should be diminished following dorsal root section by an amount related to the magnitude of positive feedback. After dorsal root section, the static positional sensitivities of our MG spindle afferent sample were significantly reduced for 72% (13/18, p < 0.05) of the afferents, and dynamic rate/length slopes were decreased for 88% (8/9) of a subset of the afferents studied. Similar reductions for 6 afferents from SOL were not found. To apportion these afferent changes to reflex excitation of either gamma or beta motoneurons, we recorded the stretch responses of gamma and alpha-type fibers in the same preparation. (We assume that the population of alpha-type fibers includes beta fibers). In keeping with other reports, alpha fibers were much more responsive to stretch than gamma fibers. The mean positional sensitivity for alpha fibers (1.29 ± 0.92 pps/mm, n = 15) was greater (p < 0.05) than that of gamma fibers (0.49 ± 0.93 pps/mm, n = 18). Because of these differences in sensitivity, beta motoneurons are more likely (than gamma motoneurons) to be involved in a positive feedback loop, although some gamma contribution is also likely. Using equations based on a beta position regulating scheme, differences in spindle positional sensitivity were used to estimate beta loop gain. The average loop gain was estimated to be 0.41 (n = 18). The contribution of such a beta configuration to reducing the sensitivity of muscle to changes in load and muscle properties is evaluated.
FAMILIES AS SYSTEMS

In this chapter, we discuss theoretical and conceptual models that use an organismic or systems metaphor for understanding families. We suggest that such theories are important for stimulating new research and organizing existing data, and that advances in these theories over the past few decades have expanded the potential for understanding child development, as well as adult adaptation and the development of close relationships. These paradigms follow from models that view development as resulting from the transactional regulatory processes of dynamic systems. Such models are helpful for considering multiple influences on development and adaptation and have implications for the design of effective interventions. We focus on the specifics of systems theories as applied to families, and the research generated by or consistent with these views. Our review is not exhaustive; rather, we intend to give a sense of the direction of this work and its importance for the understanding of development and adaptation.
Protonation‐Enhanced Lewis Acidity of Iridium Complexes Containing Noninnocent Amidophenolates

The effect of protonation of metal complexes of noninnocent ligands is investigated. The anilidophenolate complexes Cp*IrtBAtBu (1) and Cp*IrtBAFPh (2) were examined [H2tBAtBu = 2-tert-butylamino-4,6-di-tert-butylphenol, H2tBAFPh = 2-(2-trifluoromethyl)amino-4,6-di-tert-butylphenol]. Protonation of 1 with HBF4 gave the anilinophenolate [1H]+. Crystallographic characterization of this complex revealed an elongatated Ir–N bond, but the IrIII center remains pentacoordinate. The anilinophenolate hydride 1H(H) was prepared by treatment of [1H]+ with boron hydride reagents and with formic acid. X-ray crystallography confirmed the structure and revealed that the hydride and ammonium hydrons occupy sites on opposite sides of the IrONC6 ring. Complex 2 is protonated only by strong acids, and the resulting derivative is unstable in the absence of ligands such as CO and PMe3. Crystallographic characterization of [2(PMe3)]+ revealed that protonation occurs at O not N. The carbonylation of [2H]+ reveals the intermediacy of kinetic adducts, which are proposed to be the anilino tautomer.
NAFTA and Federalism: Are They Compatible?

Algunos analistas han planteado que el federalismo puede socavar el poder gubernamental, especialmente en los asuntos internacionales y el desarrollo capitalista. Esta perspectiva afirma que es mas dificil llevar a cabo acuerdos comerciales multilaterales como el TLCAN, ademas de que sus efectos son mas debiles, cuando son negociados e implementados por paises de sistema federalista. Sin embargo, un analisis del proceso, que tuvo como resultado el TLCAN y los verdaderos logros economicos de este, indica con un fundamento real todo lo contrario: que los sistemas federales como Canada, Mexico y Estados Unidos se han visto beneficiados con la experiencia de la “gobernabilidad compartida” en relacion con la globalizacion, especialmente porque se refleja la complejidad de una integracion soberana, fundamental para el exito practico de ese proceso.
Hereditary Canine Spinal Muscular Atrophy: An Animal Model of Motor Neuron Disease

Motor neuron diseases selectively produce degeneration and death of motor neurons; the pathogenesis of these disorders and the specificity for this population of neurons are unknown. Hereditary Canine Spinal Muscular Atrophy produces a lower motor neuron disease which is clinically and pathologically similar to human motor neuron disease: motor neurons dysfunction and degenerate. The canine model provides an opportunity to investigate early stages of disease when there are viable motor neurons still present and might be responsive to a variety of therapeutic interventions. The canine disease, like the human disease, is inherited as an autosomal dominant. The extensive canine pedigree of more than 200 characterized individuals permits genetic analysis using syntenic linkage techniques which may identify a marker for the canine trait and provide insights into homologous regions for study in human kindreds.
Performance of Coffee Seedlings as Affected by Soil Moisture and Nitrogen Application

Abstract Nitrogen (N) and soil moisture are the most important factors controlling yield in Colombian coffee crops. Since long-term productivity is contingent on robust early growth, it is imperative to study these factors in seedlings in order to ensure maximum yield potential of mature trees. A greenhouse experiment with four soil water and four N levels was used to determine how these two important variables affect quantifiable parameters representing seedling performance. Shoot biomass, the most obvious indicator of performance, was increased by both higher soil moisture and higher N application, although root biomass increased with N application only in wetter soils and in general the root to shoot ratio diminished with increasing N application. Like shoot biomass, leaf N content and N derived from fertilizer (Ndff) also increased with increasing N application, with relatively more leaf N recovered from fertilizer as soil moisture increased. Evapotranspiration (EVPT) responded to soil moisture, whereas water use efficiency, in terms of shoot mass produced per unit of evapotranspired water, responded dramatically to N level but was not affected by soil moisture. The strong effect of N application on water use efficiency was affirmed by the higher 13C/12C ratios and stem water potentials of plants grown under higher N levels, indicating greater water stress in these plants. All of these responses were associated with changes in photosynthesis as a result of acclimation to the imposed conditions. Consideration of these results will facilitate new recommendations for maximizing growth of coffee seedlings by increasing water and N use efficiency while reducing the economic and environmental impacts attributed to N fertilizers.
Synchronized Desorption Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry Imaging

Desorption electrospray ionization (DESI) has emerged as a powerful technique for mass spectral analysis and imaging under ambient conditions. Synchronization of DESI (sDESI) with the ion injection period (IT)of low-duty cycle mass spectrometers has been previously shown to improve sensitivity and reduce the amount of sample depleted during the acquisition of each spectrum (viz. MS scan time). In this report, we describe the development and characterization of an sDESI mass spectrometry imaging source (sDESI-MSI). Our results show that synchronization of DESI with the IT of an LTQ Orbitrap-XL mass spectrometer improves spatial resolution by factors of ∼4−6. In addition, under certain experimental conditions, synchronization was essential to acquire distinct MS images of low-intensity endogenous FAs (< 5% relative intensity) in fingermarks at high sampling frequencies (step sizes ≤ 75 μm). The magnitudes of these improvements in performance depend on the properties of the microdroplet spray, sample, and su...
State Criminal Antitrust Enforcement

This chapter recounts the history and modern status of state antitrust enforcement. Initially, it describes the three major waves of state statutory enactments, one before 1900, one during the 1930's and the final in the 1970's, and culminates with an analysis of recent legislative developments. A total of 47 states and the District of Columbia have adopted various criminal penalties. The chapter reviews actual patterns of criminal antitrust litigation by State Attorneys General, assesses their effectiveness and analyzes likely future patterns of enforcement activity.
Efficient light emission from hybrid inorganic/organic semiconductor structures by energy level optimization

Innovative hybrid inorganic/organic structures (HIOS) should implement exciton creation by electrical injection in inorganic semiconductors followed by resonant energy transfer and light emission from the organic semiconductor. An inherent obstacle of such designs is the typically unfavorable energy level alignment at HIOS interfaces, which assists in exciton separation thus quenching light emission. Here, we introduce a technologically relevant method to optimize the hybrid structure's energy levels: ZnO and a tailored ladder-type oligophenylene. Using an organometallic donor interlayer the ZnO work function is substantially lowered eliminating the ZnO - L4P-sp3 interfacial energy level offsets enhancing the hybrid structure's radiative emission yield sevenfold.
Sex-dependent and sex-independent brain resting-state functional connectivity in children with autism spectrum disorder

Background: Males are more likely to suffer from autism spectrum disorder (ASD) than females. As to whether females with ASD have similar brain alterations remain an open question. The current study aimed to examine sex-dependent as well as sex-independent alterations in resting-state functional connectivity in individuals with ASD compared with typically developing (TD) individuals. Method: Resting-state functional MRI data were acquired from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE). Subjects between 6 to 20 years of age were included for analysis. After matching the intelligence quotient between groups for each dataset, and removing subjects due to excessive head motion, the resulting effective sample contained 28 females with ASD, 49 TD females, 129 males with ASD, and 141 TD males, with a two (diagnosis) by two (sex) design. Functional connectivity among 153 regions of interest (ROIs) comprising the whole brain was computed. Two by two analysis of variance was used to identify connectivity that showed diagnosis by sex interaction or main effects of diagnosis. Results: The main effects of diagnosis were found mainly between visual cortex and other brain regions, indicating sex-independent connectivity alterations. We also observed two connections whose connectivity showed diagnosis by sex interaction between the precuneus and medial cerebellum as well as the precunes and dorsal frontal cortex. While males with ASD showed higher connectivity in these connections compared with TD males, females with ASD had lower connectivity than their counterparts. Conclusions: Both sex-dependent and sex-independent functional connectivity alterations are present in ASD.
An AIMD study of CPD repair mechanism in water: role of solvent in ring splitting.

In this paper, we continue to explore the repair mechanisms of the cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer. We find that a full description of both C5−C5′ and C6−C6′ bond splitting requires a multidimensional treatment involving a solvent coordinate in addition to changes in internal dimer coordinates. Nonequilibrium effects are likely to be important as well, although the initial conditions following forward electron transfer to the dimer, beyond the scope of this study, will ultimately determine the importance of these effects. Throughout the splitting of C5−C5′ and C6−C6′ bonds, a significant amount of excess charge is delocalized onto the solvent. We have verified that this is not an artifact of the electronic density functional theory (DFT) method used for this anionic system with Schrodinger equation-based quantum chemical cluster calculations. The amount and variability of charge delocalization changes with the course of the reaction. The splitting of the C6−C6′ bond is accompanied by both an increase in elec...
Pro-apoptotic activity against cancer stem cells differs between different parts of sweet sorghum

Abstract The extracts from sweet sorghum stalk were previously shown to eliminate human colon cancer stem cells (CCSC) in a partial p53-dependent fashion. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. In this study, we transfected CCSC with shRNA against p53 and treated with sweet sorghum phenolics extracted from different plant components. While all sweet sorghum components demonstrated anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effects in CCSC, phenolics extracted from the dermal layer and seed head were more potent in eliminating CCSC by elevating caspase 3/7 activity, poly ADP-ribose polymerase cleavage, and DNA fragmentation in a p53-dependent and partial p53-dependent manner, respectively. These effects were associated with decreases in β-catenin, cyclin D1, cMyc, and survivin protein levels. These results suggest that the anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effects of sweet sorghum extracts against CCSC are potentially via suppression of Wnt/β-catenin signalling in a p53-dependent (dermal layer) and partial p53-dependent (seed head) manner.
Theory of Hydrogen Complexes in Si

The predominance of Si-H bonding and the origin of {111} platelets in hydrogenated Si remain important unsolvedproblems in the study of H in Si.Recent theoretical and experimental results indicate that H predominately enters the Si network in pairs. A promising diatomic H configuration consists of a bond centered H closely associated with an antibonding centered H. In this work, we show that adjacent diatomic H pairs have a binding energy of 0.2 eV/2H. The binding originates from relaxation of strained Si-Si backbonds. Further clustering of the H pairs eliminates all strained bonds, forming a hydrogenated platelet oriented along the {111} plane. The binding energy of 3.95 eV/2H for the platelet is 0.15 eV lower than that for interstitial H2 molecules in c-Si. Lattice expansion makes the platelets energetically more competitivewith the lowest energy Si-H bonding confi gration at hydrogenated Si (111) surfaces. These higher level complexes explainthe formation of platelets, Raman spectra, and absence of gap states in hydrogenated c- Si as well as the clustered phaseseen in NMR and of H evolution and diffusion in hydrogenated amorphous Si.
Arginase in Fetal Calf Serum

SummarySerum arginase activity in newborn calf, adult human, and adult horse sera was 0-1 μmoles of urea formed/hr/ml. In fetal calf serum, it is much higher and was observed to be 2-12 μmoles of urea formed/hr/ml. Thus in long term cultures in which fetal calf serum is used, arginine depletion may occur unless the media is changed frequently.
Study on Inoculum Effect of Antibiotics in Tests with Extended-Spectrum-Lactamase-Producing Escherichia coli

Objective To explore the inoculum effects of meropenem,piperacillin/tazobactam,cefepime,ceftazidime,cefotaxime and ceftriaxone on extended spectrum beta-lactamases(ESBLs) producing Escherichia coli. Methods According to the broth microdilution method recommended by the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute(CLSI),the minimum inhibitory concentrations of the 6 antibiotics against 19 Escherichia coli strains producing extended spectrum β-lactamases in the standard inoculum(5×105 cfu/ml) and the high inoculation concentration(5×107 cfu/ml) were determined. Results The inoculum effect of meropenem against 19 Escherichia coli strains producing extended spectrum β-lactamases did not exist.The inoculum effects of piperacillin/tazobactam only existed in partial genotype strains producing extended spectrum β-lactamases.The inoculum effects of cefepime,ceftazidime,cefotaxime and ceftriaxone existed in all the tested isolates. Conclusions Meropenem is the first choice for treating the severe infection caused by ESBLs-producing Escherichia coli.Piperacillin/tazobactam should be considered for therapy of mild or moderate infection based on the results of the antibiotic susceptibility testing.The third and fourth generation cephalosporins are not recommended even if they are sensitive in vitro experiments.
ROBUST FACE DETECTION IN PATIENT TRIAGE IMAGES

Disaster events like the attack on the World Trade Center in New York City in 2001 and the earthquake in Haiti in 2010 result in a desperate need for family and friends to obtain information about missing people. This can be facilitated by automatically extracting textual descriptors of patients from images taken at emergency triage centers. We show that existing face detection algorithms, a necessary precursor to extracting such descriptors, perform poorly on triage images taken during disaster simulations, and propose and demonstrate the superiority of an ensemble-based face detection method that is a combination of robust skin detection and simple pattern matching face detection techniques. The addition of a template-based eye detection method further improves the accuracy of our face detection method.
Intra-aortic balloon counterpulsation for cardiac support during noncardiac operations.

Major noncardiac surgery is a serious hazard to patients with advanced coronary disease. Perioperative infarction is common, and preliminary coronary bypass is often unwarranted. We suggest that the use of the intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) for perioperative support of such patients makes perioperative infarction unlikely and permits otherwise hazardous operations. Three patients with advanced coronary disease (unstable angina in two) had major thoracotomies for lung masses without cardiac complications. This management plan has wider implications for other noncardiac surgical problems in such patients, particularly for mandatory operations such as relieving intestinal obstructions.
Capturing Conformation-Dependent Molecule–Surface Interactions When Surface Chemistry Is Heterogeneous

Molecular building blocks, such as carbon nanotubes and DNA origami, can be fully integrated into electronic and optical devices if they can be assembled on solid surfaces using biomolecular interactions. However, the conformation and functionality of biomolecules depend strongly on the local chemical environment, which is highly heterogeneous near a surface. To help realize the potential of biomolecular self-assembly, we introduce here a technique to spatially map molecular conformations and adsorption, based on single-molecule fluorescence microscopy. On a deliberately patterned surface, with regions of varying hydrophobicity, we characterized the conformations of adsorbed helicogenic alanine-lysine copeptides using Forster resonance energy transfer. The peptides adopted helical conformations on hydrophilic regions of the surface more often than on hydrophobic regions, consistent with previous ensemble-averaged observations of α-helix surface stability. Interestingly, this dependence on surface chemistr...
Prevalence of Prediabetes and Abdominal Obesity Among Healthy-Weight Adults: 18-Year Trend

PURPOSE Trends in sedentary lifestyle may have influenced adult body composition and metabolic health among individuals at presumably healthy weights. This study examines the nationally representative prevalence of prediabetes and abdominal obesity among healthy-weight adults in 1988 through 2012. METHODS We analyzed the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) III (1988–1994) and NHANES for the years 1999 to 2012, focusing on adults aged 20 years and older who have a body mass index (BMI) of 18.5 to 24.99 and do not have diabetes, either diagnosed or undiagnosed. We defined prediabetes using glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level ranges from 5.7% to 6.4%, as specified by the American Diabetes Association. Abdominal obesity was measured by waist circumference and waist-to-height ratio. RESULTS The prevalence of prediabetes among healthy-weight adults, aged 20 years and older and without diagnosed or undiagnosed diabetes, increased from 10.2% in 1988–1994 to 18.5% in 2012. Among individuals aged 45 years and older, the prevalence of prediabetes increased from 22.0% to 33.1%. The percentage of adults aged 20 years and older with an unhealthy waist circumference increased from 5.6% in 1988–1994 to 7.6% in 2012. The percentage of individuals with an unhealthy waist-to-height ratio increased from 27.2% in 1988–1994 to 33.7% in 2012. Adjusted models found that measures of abdominal obesity were not independent predictors of prediabetes among adults with a healthy BMI. CONCLUSIONS Among individuals within a healthy BMI range, the prevalence of prediabetes and abdominal obesity has substantially increased. Abdominal obesity does not appear to be the primary cause of the increase.
The MPTP Mouse Model of Parkinson's Disease: the True, the False, and the Unknown

Publisher Summary This chapter provides a detailed discussion on the MPTP (1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine) mouse model of Parkinson's disease (PD). MPTP is the only known dopaminergic neurotoxin capable of causing a clinical picture in both humans and monkeys that is indistinguishable from PD. While its handling requires a series of precautions, the use of MPTP is straightforward since it does not require any particular piece of equipment such as a stereotaxic frame. Moreover, it does not require surgery on live animals as needed for 6-hydroxydopamine or rotenone. MPTP produces a reliable and reproducible lesion of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathway after its systemic administration, which is often not the case for other publicized poisons. While MPTP monkeys remain the gold standard for the preclinical testing of new therapies for PD, most of the studies geared toward unraveling the mechanisms underlying the demise of dopaminergic neurons have been performed primarily in mice. This chapter focuses on several questions about MPTP mouse model and shows that many of the popular objections made about this model are false. This chapter also gives an opportunity to stress some of the important limitations of this model and to discuss how these may impact the interpretations of one's data.
Quasiparticle energy and optical excitations of gated bilayer graphene

By employing the first-principles $GW$-Bethe-Salpeter equation simulation, we obtain the accurate quasiparticle (QP) band gap and optical absorption spectra of gated bilayer graphene. Enhanced electron-electron interactions dramatically enlarge the QP band gap; infrared optical absorption spectra are dictated by bright bound excitons. In particular, the energies of these excited states can be tuned in a substantially wider range, by the gate field, than previous predictions. Our results clearly explain recent experiments and satisfactorily resolve the inconsistency between experimentally measured transport and optical band gaps. Moreover, we predict that the most deeply bound exciton is a dark exciton which is qualitatively different from the hydrogenic model, and its electron and hole are condensed onto opposite graphene layers, respectively. This unique dark exciton not only impacts the exciton dynamics but also provides an exciting opportunity to study entangling exchange effects of many-body physics.
A Novel, Minimally-Invasive Approach to Repair Degenerative Disk Disease in an Ovine Model Using Injectable Polymethyl-Methacrylate and Bovine Collagen (PMMA/BC).

Background : The natural, inflammatory repair processes of an injured intervertebral degenerative disc can propagate further injury and destruction. While there are many different treatment modalities of the pain related to degenerative disc disease, none are actually reparative in nature. Treatment strategies to repair a degenerative disc without inducing a destructive inflammatory milieu have been elusive. Purpose: The purpose of this experiment is to discover the feasibility of reconstructing an injured intervertebral disc using an injected, inert polymer as the foundation for endogenous collagen growth. Study Design: In this ovine model of six subjects in total, we introduce a modality where a large inert polymer, polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), in conjunction bovine collagen (BC) is injected into the intervertebral disc. Following six months of observation, histologic specimens were evaluated macroscopically and microscopically for evidence of a benefit of the injectable PMMA/BC. Methods: We obtained six merino sheep for this study. Concentric injuries were made to four of their lumbar intervertebral discs. Two of those levels were treated with a percutaneous injection of 0.3 cc of PMMA/BC. The remaining lumbar levels were left untreated and were our controls. After six months, all subjects were sacrificed. Their four levels were extracted and were examined macroscopically and microscopically. Results: All subjects tolerated the lumbar injury and percutaneous injection of PMMA/BC well. After the six month interval, all subjects have demonstrated an intact architecture of their lumbar disc height at the macroscopic and microscopic level. Microscopically, there was no evidence of external migration of the PMMA/BC microspheres, nor was there any evidence of an inflammatory response by its presence. Notably, the PMMA/BC microspheres were well-incorporated into the concentric disc tears and had undergone endogenous collagen formation in its environment. Treatment levels were revealing for maintenance of disc height without evidence of an ongoing degeneration. The controlled levels were revealing for continued disc degeneration with loss of disc height and evolving injury at the level of the concentric tear. Conclusions: This ovine model demonstrates a novel and promising technique for prevention and arrest of lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration.
Co-Design of a High Performance 12-Bit 8GHz DDR4 Switch on a Laminate-Based CSP (Chip Scale Packaging) Technology

Multiplexer/switch ICs are key components of NVDIMM architecture that serve to isolate the host controller from the DRAM memory system. Signal integrity performance of the IC can drastically be impacted by package parasitics. In this paper we detailed a system co-design methodology that was employed to design a cost-effective DDR4 switch packaged in a laminate-based chip-scale packaging (CSP), without compromising electrical performance. The co-design simulation methodology is validated through correlation to laboratory measurements on TI's TS3DDR4000TM -- a high performance 12-bit 8GHz DDR4 switch.
Aligning a Multi-Government Network With Situational Context: Metropolitan Governance as an Organizational Systems Problem

The governance of major metropolitan areas is often associated with a “fragmented” and “uncoordinated” multi-government apparatus, frequently sculpted from years of particularistic ad hoc administrative reforms. This image of dysfunctional structure gains high salience when the metropolitan context is accentuated by complexity and fluidity, especially where intense paradoxical forces of economic development and ecological sustainability are present. The most visible “solutions” for such a state often come from bureaucrats seeking to “streamline” government according to norms of standardization and hierarchy. But, calls for reform may also come from scholars of polycentric government, who see the problem as a misalignment of administrative structure with the metropolitan context. This article adopts the latter, less-appreciated perspective that argues such dysfunctions in a metropolitan multi-government network are essentially problems of adaptive organizational design. Different than the bureaucratic mode...
Against Emotional Dogmatism

It may seem that when you have an emotional response to a perceived object or event that makes it seem to you that the perceived source of the emotion possesses some evaluative property, then you thereby have prima facie, immediate justification for believing that the object or event possesses the evaluative property. Call this view ‘dogmatism about emotional justification’. We defend a view of the structure of emotional awareness according to which the objects of emotional awareness are derived from other experiences such as bodily sensation, inner awareness, sensory perception, memory, and imagination. On this basis, we argue that dogmatism about emotional justification is an untenable position, regardless of whether the special feature of an immediate justifier that makes it an immediate justifier is its presentational phenomenology or its evidence insensitivity.
Some Observations on Oligarchies, Internal Direct Sums, and Lattice Congruences

A set-theoretic abstraction of some deep ideas from lattice theory is presented and discussed. By making use of this abstraction, many results from seemingly disparate disciplines can be examined, proved, and subtle relationships can be discovered among them. Typical applications might involve decision theory when presented with evidence from sources that yield conflicting optimal advice, insights into the internal structure of a finite lattice, and the nature of homomorphic images of a finite lattice. Some needed historical background is provided. (Presented in conjunction with the volume dedicated to the 70th Birthday celebration of Professor Boris Mirkin.) In particular, there is a connection to some early work of Mirkin (On the problem of reconciling partitions. In: Quantitative Sociology, International Perspectives on Mathematical and Statistical Modelling, pp. 441–449. Academic, New York, 1975).
Dual interaction of scaffold protein Tim44 of mitochondrial import motor with channel-forming translocase subunit Tim23

Proteins destined for the mitochondrial matrix are targeted to the inner membrane Tim17/23 translocon by their presequences. Inward movement is driven by the matrix-localized, Hsp70-based motor. The scaffold Tim44, interacting with the matrix face of the translocon, recruits other motor subunits and binds incoming presequence. The basis of these interactions and their functional relationships remains unclear. Using site-specific in vivo crosslinking and genetic approaches in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we found that both domains of Tim44 interact with the major matrix-exposed loop of Tim23, with the C-terminal domain (CTD) binding Tim17 as well. Results of in vitro experiments showed that the N-terminal domain (NTD) is intrinsically disordered and binds presequence near a region important for interaction with Hsp70 and Tim23. Our data suggest a model in which the CTD serves primarily to anchor Tim44 to the translocon, whereas the NTD is a dynamic arm, interacting with multiple components to drive efficient translocation.
Characteristics of Cigarette Smoking in Individuals in Smoking Concordant and Smoking Discordant Couples.

Introduction Partner smoking status may impact smoking cessation outcomes. The purpose of this study is to compare smokers in smoking concordant couples (both partners smoke) to smokers in smoking discordant couples (one partner smokes) on variables that have been shown to be important for quitting smoking. Methods Participants were 123 cigarette smokers with cohabitating romantic partners (smoking discordant: n=60, smoking concordant: n=63, 63.9% females). We used one-way MANCOVA, controlling for age and number of cigarettes smoked/day, to examine differences between groups on smoking outcome expectancies, motivation to quit smoking, and dyadic efficacy to quit smoking. We examined smoking behavior in a series of exploratory analyses. Results We found a significant multivariate difference between individuals in smoking concordant and discordant couples (p < .05) such that 20.3% of the variation in the linear combination of dependent variables was accounted for by group membership. Follow-up univariate ANCOVA analyses indicated that those in smoking discordant couples reported greater positive outcome expectancies for cigarettes with regard to facilitating social situations and reducing boredom than those in the smoking concordant group. Participants in smoking concordant couples smoked more cigarettes when their partners were present, fewer cigarettes without their partners present, and were more likely to prefer that their partner be involved in their smoking cessation treatment than those in smoking discordant couples. Discussion The results of this study may guide the development of smoking cessation interventions that attend to the unique needs of smoking concordant and discordant couples.
Targeted therapies in Acute Myeloid Leukemia: a focus on FLT-3 inhibitors and ABT199

Introduction: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remains a therapeutic challenge. Despite ongoing research, the standard therapy for AML has not changed significantly in the past four decades. With the i...
Analytical method for finding the nullspace of stiffness matrix in the finite element method

The stiffness matrix in a vector finite element method has a nullspace whose size grows linearly with the matrix size. Finding it numerically can be computationally expensive. However, the nullspace is important in many applications from solving the low-frequency breakdown to developing fast solvers. In this paper, we find an analytical method to generate the nullspace of the stiffness matrix without any need for computation. The method is valid regardless of the element shape used for discretization, the mesh configuration, and the basis-function order employed to expand the vector fields. Numerical experiments have validated the proposed analytical method.
Exploring the Universe of Egregious Conversations in Chatbots

As part of the raging commercial development of chatbot systems, the ability to improve the quality of conversations quickly and consistently is crucial. In this work, we focus on egregious conversations and the dialog failure points that lead to these extremely bad dialogs. We present a tool that helps chatbot designers exploring and prioritizing failure points that need to be handled. Each failure is accompanied with an explanation and a suggested remedy.
CRAFTING IDENTITY: ACQUISITION, PRODUCTION, USE, AND RECYCLING OF SOAPSTONE DURING THE MISSION PERIOD IN ALTA CALIFORNIA

This article investigates the daily practices and social processes of indigenous identity negotiation in the Santa Barbara Channel region through an analysis of soapstone ollas, bowls, and comales. After assessing the source of the raw material and using a typological classification based upon form and function, I discuss the ways in which soapstone cooking wares were used diachronically and across the colonial landscape. These finds show a reorganization of the soapstone industry inside the mission space: soapstone was acquired from new sources, an emphasis was placed on the production of bowls and comales, and more soapstone vessels show evidence of remodification. However, the continued use of traditional soapstone ollas in historically occupied Chumash villages outside the mission indicates persistent practices that linked indigenous peoples to a deep ancestral past. I argue that these changes and continuities illuminate a range of identities that existed between the cultural spaces previously described as “native” and “Spanish.” This study illustrates that indigenous peoples negotiated, redeployed, and expressed their identities in new ways that allowed them to adapt and persist under colonialism.
Economical High-Temperature Water Bath Control and Monitoring with a Sous Vide Cooking Device

A low-cost alternative to the typical scientific laboratory water bath or a hot plate stirrer water bath is proposed. Readily available immersion circulators have been developed for sous vide cooking. These precision cookers are designed to maintain water at an exact temperature and thus are well-suited for the similar laboratory requirements of a stirred water bath. It was found that these devices can maintain a laboratory water bath within ±0.1 °C.
Identification of a large molecular weight peptide associated with a tetrodotoxin binding protein from the electroplax of Electrophoruselectricus

Abstract We have previously described the purification of a tetrodotoxin binding protein from the electroplax of Electrophorus electricus . The preparation consisted of three peptides of M r ∼ 46,000, 59,000 and ∼ 300,000 daltons. Further investigation has now shown that the large peptide of M r ∼ 260,000 daltons is part of the tetrodotoxin binding component of the voltage-sensitive sodium channel.
Radioactive Target Detection Using Wireless Sensor Network

The detection of radioactive target is becoming more important recently in public safety and national security. By using the physical law for nuclear radiation isotopes, this chapter proposes a statistical method for wireless sensor network data to detect and locate a hidden nuclear target in a large study area. The method assumes multiple radiation detectors have been used as sensor nodes in a wireless sensor network. Radiation counts have been observed by sensors and each is composed of a radiation signal plus a radiation background. By considering the physical properties of radiation signal and background, the proposed method can simultaneously detect and locate the radioactive target in the area. Our simulation results have shown that the proposed method is effective and efficient in detection and location of the nuclear radioactive target. This research will have wide applications in the nuclear safety and security problems.
Preparing Grants to Secure Research Funding from Government Agencies

Research funding is critical to the development of research in clinical child and pediatric psychology. The conduct of clinically relevant research in these fields can involve time-consuming and costly tasks involving recruitment and retention of research participants, data collection, and analysis. Moreover, prospective and multisite research projects that are often necessary to advance scientific knowledge in pediatric and clinical child psychology are very expensive and require substantial funding (Drotar, 1994). Research funding is also important to the success of many interdisciplinary research programs, especially large-scale projects (see Chapter 13, this volume).
தமிழர் கோயிற்கலை கட்டுமான அமைப்பில் குடைவரைக் கோயில்கள்: CaveTemples in Tamil Temple Architecture

Political changes happened in the ancient Tamil country has witnessed significant variations in culture, religion and arts. Pallava dynasty extended power in the northern and Chola region. The reign of Pallava king Mahendravarman-I (AD 600-630) witnessed change in art and temple architecture. The Mandagapattu rock-cut cave temple built by Mahendravarman-I in Villupuram district is considered the oldest of this kind in Tamil country. According to the Grandha inscription found in the Mandagapattu temple, Mahendravarman built a new type of temple architecture by avoiding materials such as bricks, timbers, metal and mortar which have been used vastly in the temple architecture. Rock-cut temples are also found in the Pandya region built at the same period. This Paper provides insight into several rock-cut temples of 6th to 8th century A.D. in Tamil Nadu, India. This article highlights the deteriorating present conditions of these temples with the aim to raise awareness for protection. Key words: Architecture, Rock-cut temples, Cave Temples, Research in inscription, Culture ஆயவுச சுருககம பழநதமிழகததில ஏறபடட அரசியல மாறறஙகளாவன பணபாடு, சமயம, கலை ஆகிய துறைகளில குறிபபிடததகக மாறறஙகளை ஏறபடுததின. பலலவ அரச பரமபரையினர தஙகள ஆடசியை வடககுப பகுதிககும சோழ மணடலததிறகும விரிவுபடுததினர. முதலாம மகேநதிரவரமப பலலவனின (AD 600-630) ஆடசிககாலததில இலககியததிலும கோயில கடடிடககலைகளிலும மாறுபடட ஒரு வளைரசசியைக காணமுடிகிறது. மகேநதிரவரமப பலலவன தான கடடிய மணடகபபடடு குடைவரைக கோவிலின கலவெடடில, இதுவரை இருநத கோயில கடடுமான முறையான மரம, செஙகல மறறும சுணணாமபுக கலவை பயனபடுததி கோயில அமைககும முறையைத தவிரதது, தானே பாறையைக குடைநது கோயிலைக கடடியதாக அறிவிததுளளான. இதுபோனற குடைவரைக கோவிலகள, இதே காலததைச சேரநத பாணடிய நாடடிலும இருநதது எனபதுவும தெரிகிறது. இககடடுரை, 6-8ஆம நூறறாணடைச சாரநத தமிழ நாடடுக கோயிலகள சிலவறறைப பறறிய தகவலகளை முனவைககிறது. இககடடுரையானது, தறபோது சிதிலமடைநதுவரும இவவகைக கோயிலகளின நிலையை இககோவிலகள பாதுகாககபபடவேணடும எனும விழிபபுணரவை ஏறபடுததும வகையில விளககுகிறது. குறிபபுச சொறகள: கடடிடககலை, குடைவரைக கோயில, குகைக கோயிலகள, கலவெடடு ஆயவு, பணபாடு.