cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Sensibilities of Semicolonial Shanghai: A Phenomenological Study of the Short Stories by Liu Na’ou

This chapter looks at the examples from the late 1920s and early 1930s Shanghai new sensationist (xin’-ganjuepai) author, Liu Na’ou 劉吶歐, to offer a reading of his short stories in reference to the philosophy of perceptual experience and the literary history of the texts. It argues that literature written with a focus on sensational responses is a genre resistant to representation. The more exhaustively the city is portrayed with an emphasis on sensations, the more perceptual knowledge the reader seems to have of the city; but paradoxically, the less she knows the city itself. To read such literature, it requires a rigorous philosophical analysis of the problem of perception, such as what this chapter develops by borrowing from study of Cezanne’s paintings by the phenomenologist Merleau-Ponty. This study discovers that while the sensationist literature poses a challenge of interpreting the narrated urban reality for the reader, it also suggests a new epistemology of the city in literature, as well as explores a different framework of understanding the city in terms of sensations.
Cost-performance tradeoffs in unreliable computation architectures

We investigate unreliable computation problem under cost and fidelity constraints. We introduce a framework, where we observe a noise-corrupted version of correct computation while incurring an associated cost. We consider several cost models formalizing the relationship between fidelity of an unreliable computation and its cost. We demonstrate that a single unreliable computation incurs less cost than a fusion of several less costly and less reliable computations while achieving same MSE performance under concave and linear costs. We show that fusing several less costly and less reliable computation yield a better cost-performance tradeoff than a single unreliable computation under convex costs.
The Development and Testing of a Multi-Depth Microwire Electrode Array

We describe a method by which a single shaft multi-microwire electrode can be easily and efficiently fabricated. The constructed electrode can then be used for multi-depth neuronal unit recording from one or more tracks in deep brain structures of anesthetized or awake animals. The electrode consists of multiple strands of 50 μm Teflon insulated tungsten microwires threaded through a 25 gauge stainless steel cannula. The individual microwires are then cut to specified offsets, depending on which layers the researcher is interested in. In this case the three wires present are cut to 1 mm, 600 μm, and 250 μm from the tip of the distal end of the cannula. These distances correspond to the II, III, and V layer of the rat sensorimotor cortex. At the base of the electrode, the wires are soldered to individual pins of a miniature connector that plugs into preamplifier that is part of a TDT (Tucker-Davis Technologies) modular signal processing system. Although in vivo data has yet to be attained and analyzed for this type of an electrode, EIS (Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy) analysis has shown that the electrode design is well suited for brain tissue recordings.
Efficacy of Distal Perfusion Cannulae in Preventing Limb Ischemia During Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis

To date, no consensus exists regarding indication, technique, or efficacy of distal perfusion cannulae (DPC) in preventing limb ischemia among patients receiving venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO). We aim to examine the available literature and report association between DPC and risk of limb ischemia. PubMed/Medline, Scopus, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Google Scholar, and bibliographies of included studies were searched from database inception until August 2016. Original studies describing the DPC placement technique and incidence of limb ischemia following DPC placement among VA-ECMO patients were included for systematic review. Studies with a comparison group of patients without DPC were included for meta-analysis. Two authors independently screened title/abstracts, reviewed full texts, and extracted data from the eligible studies. Meta-analysis was performed using the Mantel-Haenszel method under a random-effects model. Statistical heterogeneity was examined with the I2 statistic (RevMan Version 5.3). Of 542 title/abstracts screened, 62 full text articles were selected for review, yielding 22 retrospective observational studies, for a total of 779 patients with 132 limb ischemia events. There was significant variation in DPC indication, cannula type, and placement technique among the studies. Compared to no DPC, the presence of a DPC was associated with at least a 15.7% absolute reduction in the incidence of limb ischemia (9.74 vs. 25.42%; risk ratio 0.41; 95% confidence interval 0.26–0.65, P < 0.01; heterogeneity statistic I2 = 28%). There was no statistically significant difference in mortality in the pooled dataset comparing DPC versus no DPC. In adults treated with VA-ECMO, DPC placement was associated with a lower incidence of limb ischemia. Currently no consensus guidelines exist regarding indication for DPC placement. Given the association described in this analysis, future prospective trials are warranted to establish a causal relationship and optimal technique for the use of DPC in patients treated with VA-ECMO.
A Japan that Cannot Say Sorry

The idea that Japan is uniquely unable to apologize for its WWII crimes has become a truism. Seraphim shows that contrasting Japan to Germany in moral terms grew out of a global politics of atonement in the 1990s deployed in service of contemporary political interests irrespective of historical realities. While the Japanese liberal left used it to pressure its government to articulate a politics of reconciliation, it became the staple of a new popular nationalism in China. South Korean civil groups exercised their newly won democratic rights to sue Japan for apologies and compensation. Belated attention to Japanese crimes provided Chinese and Korean Americans with a new identity. Seraphim argues that at their worst, the ahistorical uses of the Germany–Japan comparison provide ammunition to Japanese nationalists.
Language Learning in Large Parameter Spaces

Various theories of linguistics have proposed that the differences among natural languages can be parameterized. Certainly syntactic theories such as Principles and Parameters (Chomsky, 1981) assume the existence of such parameters. Along with the problem of defining parameters, we need to address the problem of a child’s acquisition of the settings of these parameters. Several algorithms for parameter setting have been proposed and examined on small spaces. Unless we have a realistic space to study, we cannot fully understand the predictions of these algorithms. Having an implemented computational model of these algorithms is important for studying them at greater depths. This study examines one such parameter-setting algorithm in realistic spaces.
Perfusion Index: A Noninvasive Tool for Clinical Decision in Neonates with Suspected Sepsis?

Aim This article aims to assess whether perfusion index is significantly different in infants with positive C-reactive protein and/or positive cultures compared with a control group. Methods This was a prospective observational cohort study. Perfusion index was evaluated in 80 neonates at the start of antibiotic therapy for suspected sepsis. Antibiotic therapy was started based on the antenatal history or the presence of clinical signs of sepsis such as hypo/hyperthermia, feed intolerance, lethargy, hypotonia, irregular cardiac rhythms, bradycardia, cyanosis, apnea, respiratory distress, and metabolic acidosis. A case group of 23 neonates with abnormal C- reactive protein (> 10 mg/L) and/or positive cultures (blood, liquor, or bronchoalveolar lavage cultures) was compared with a control group of 23 neonates. Results Cases (mean gestational age [GA], 33 ± 5) and controls (mean GA, 33 ± 5) were matched according to the following criteria: GA (±2 weeks), postmenstrual age (±2 weeks), early ( 72 hours) onset of suspected infection. Mean perfusion index was 0.8 ± 0.3 in the case group and 1.2 ± 0.4 in the control group; p -value of Conclusions Perfusion index can be considered a noninvasive, reproducible, and easy-to-apply tool for early diagnosis of a neonatal acute inflammation in course of sepsis.
Potential biological control of Erwinia tracheiphila by internal alimentary canal interactions in Acalymma vittatum with Pseudomonas fluorescens

Aims We aim to determine if Pseudomonas fluorescens is a viable biological control for Erwinia tracheiphila within the insect vector, Acalymma vittatum. Methods and results Pseudomonas fluorescens secreted fluorescein and inhibited growth of E. tracheiphila in disc diffusion assays. To determine if this antagonism was conserved within the insect vector, we performed in vivo assays by orally injecting beetles with bacterial treatments and fluorescent in situ hybridization to determine bacterial presence within the alimentary canal. Conclusions Pseudomonas fluorescens inhibited the growth of E. tracheiphila on a nutrient-limiting medium. In situ experiments demonstrated that P. fluorescens is maintained within the alimentary canal of the beetle for at least 4 days, and co-occurred with E. tracheiphila. When beetles were first presented with Pseudomonas and then challenged with E. tracheiphila, E. tracheiphila was not recovered via FISH after 4 days. These data suggest that P. fluorescens has potential as a biological control agent to limit E. tracheiphila within the insect vector. Significance and impact of the study This is a novel approach for controlling E. tracheiphila that has the potential to decrease reliance on insecticides, providing a safer environment for pollinators and growers.
kěpîr ' ărāyôt in Judges 14:5

Data culled from the Hebrew Bible (e.g., Ezek 19:19-9) and, especially, zoology casts light on the odd construct phrase in Judg 14:5, kěpir ' arāyot . The phrase, which may even be a compound word, is best understood as designating a nomadic subadult lion. This makes good sense of a number of details in the narrative, including the lion's location in the vineyards of Timnah and its agressive behavior. It also underscores still further the astonishing nature of Samson's victory over precisely this kind of lion.
Somatic Embryogenesis in Cotton ( Gossypium spp.)

Whether cultivated or wild, all the cottons of the world belong to the genus Gossypium, and four domesticated species of cotton are currently under cultivation. Two are “Old World” species: Gossypium arboreum is cultivated in India, and remains a fairly important crop there; G. herbaceum is grown only as a local crop in the drier areas of Africa and Asia. Both these species are diploid (2n = 26). The domesticated “New World” cottons, G. hirsutum and G. barbadense, are allotetraploid, characterized by 26 pairs of chromosomes (2n = 52) (Lee 1984). Cultivation of G. hirsutum, often referred to as Upland cotton, makes up about 90% of the current world production of 80 million bales, and about 99% of the US cotton crop. G. barbadense (commonly referred to as Egyptian or Pima cotton) accounts for most of the remaining production, and is used in the manufacture of luxury fabrics and sewing thread. The economic impact of commercial cotton production is significant; the value of the US crop is roughly $4 billion (US$) annually (USDA Agricultural Statistics 1991).
Peripheral Neural 5-HT Receptors: Subtypes in the Enteric Nervous System

Peripheral neural 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) receptors have been analyzed in the enteric nervous system (ENS) and related to possible physiological actions of 5-HT. Receptors have been distinguished electrophysiologically, using intracellular microelectrodes, as well as by studies of the binding of specific radioligands. Radioligand binding was assessed both by rapid filtration of isolated membranes and by radioautography. Three subtypes of 5-HT receptor have been identified. 5-HT1P receptors mediate slow depolarizations of myenteric II/AH neurons associated with an increase in input resistance. These responses are blocked by dipeptides of 5-hydroxytryptophan and by BRL 24924 and they are mimicked by hydroxylated indalpines. 5-HT1P receptors can be labeled by 3H-5-HT and are located on neurons in the enteric plexuses and on the mucosal processes of intrinsic enteric neurons. Serotonergic EPSPs are mediated by these receptors and it is postulated that they may also be involved in initiation of the peristaltic reflex and in the regulation of gastric emptying. 5-HT3 receptors are responsible for fast depolarizations of myenteric and submucosal neurons associated with a fall in input resistance. These responses are blocked by ICS 205-930 and mimicked by 2-methyl-5-HT. 5-HT1A receptors mediate hyperpolarizing responses associated with a decrease in input resistance. These responses can be mimicked by 8-hydroxy-2(di-n-propyl-amino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT). As yet no physiological role has been attributed to 5-HT3 or 5-HT1A receptors in the ENS.
Israel’s country image in the 2016 Olympic Games

The purpose of this study was to analyze how Israel’s country image was projected through the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. With the first author being an accredited journalist, data were collected during the preparations of the Israeli delegation in Israel and during the 3 weeks of competitions in Brazil. We analyzed mixed-zones interviews, press conferences, and public speeches of eight key stakeholders with potential to influence Israel’s country image in the Olympic Games. We identified two main themes regarding Israel’s country image: (a) national identity and (b) sports and international politics. The findings make contributions on sports and country image research, on sports nation branding, and public diplomacy, as well as sports and national identity in Israel.
Translational research on chemical nerve agents

This special issue will describe cutting-edge translational research on the development of safe and effective therapeutics for treating exposure to toxic chemical threat agents that target the nervous system. These studies are supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Countermeasures Against Chemical Threats (CounterACT) program. Chemical threats include chemical warfare agents, pesticides and other toxic chemicals whose primary mode of action is targeted within the nervous system. Depending on the dose, the effects of these toxic chemicals can be lethal or cause serious morbidity including neuropathology and neurological deficits. Current topics in research on organophosphorus pesticides and chemical warfare agents include developing alternatives to currently approve acetylcholinesterase reactivators, control of seizures that are refractory to benzodiazepine drugs, and treatments for serious morbidity caused by non-lethal exposures. There is also an effort to understand the mechanisms of toxicity and treatments for other neuro-active agents such as tetramine and hydrogen sulfide. A robust translational research effort on nerve agents is essential for being better prepared with an effective medical response capability during chemical emergencies.
The effect of phosphonate rate on control of scab on pecan

Abstract Scab, caused by the plant pathogenic fungus Venturia effusa, is the major disease of pecan in the southeastern USA. In widely grown susceptible cultivars, frequent application of fungicides is the only option to control the disease. Unfortunately resistance to some fungicides has developed so management of the chemistries available is critical for the industry. Understanding how rate affects disease control is important to ensure that control is maximized. We compared the effect of different rates of phosphonate products in reducing scab in a total of six field experiments from 2015 to 2018 at two locations in Georgia. Cultivar Desirable was used in four experiments, and cv. Wichita was included in 2 years at one location. Depending on experiment, four rates of ProPhyt® (2.3, 3.5, 5.3 and 7.0 L/Ha), three rates of Rampart® (2.3, 4.7 and 7.0 L/Ha), or two rates of K-phite® 7LP (2.3 and 7.0 L/Ha) were tested. Also depending on experiment, 5 to 10 sprays of phosphonate product were applied. Incidence of scab was invariably high on fruit from the non-treated, control trees and most often high on treated trees. However, treatment with the higher rates of phosphonate product most often significantly or numerically reduced severity of scab compared to the lower rates of the products applied on foliage and fruit. The label-stated weight of the active ingredient (phosphonate) per unit volume is similar in these products and they reduced the severity of scab similarly compared to the control and to each other at comparable rates. We found that applying the higher rates we tested (3.5–7.0 L/Ha) most often controlled scab better when compared to the lowest rate (2.3 L/Ha). In 2015 fruit weight was increased where phosphonate application resulted in reduced disease, but in 2016 the effect was unclear due to a late and mild epidemic of scab likely having limited impact on the fruit size. Regardless of epidemic intensity, higher rates of phosphonate provided more efficacious control. Phosphonate products are a vital chemistry to manage scab for the pecan industry in the southeastern USA and our results demonstrate that higher rates contribute to more efficacious control of this yield-limiting disease.
Recollections, Perspectives, and Recommendations of an Educator

In this chapter, Conrad and Brown share their recollections of the perspectives from the highly esteemed teacher educator and Fulbright scholar, Dr. Ewart Taylor. Also known as Werty, Dr. Taylor, a lecturer at the University of the West Indies–St. Augustine campus, passed on September, 6, 2017. The co-editors used information from personal notes and two prior interviews, and member-checked with the Taylor family, in writing this testimony. We aim to celebrate his contributions to education, educational leadership, and inclusive practice; and consider how these might guide leaders. We hope that this chapter underscores the relevance of his contributions to inclusive educational leadership.
Differences in Advance Care Planning and Circumstances of Death for Pediatric Patients Who Do and Do Not Receive Palliative Care Consults: A Single-Center Retrospective Review of All Pediatric Deaths from 2012 to 2016.

Abstract Background: Growing evidence suggests that pediatric palliative care (PPC) teams influence the care received by children and young adults with chronic, life-limiting illnesses. Little is k...
The Experience and Motivations of Midwives of Color in Minnesota: Nothing for Us Without Us.

Introduction Racial disparities in birth outcomes originate with a confluence of factors including social determinants of health, toxic stress, structural racism, and barriers to engaging, high-quality perinatal care. Historically and currently, midwives are disproportionately white, and attention to the racial and ethnic diversity of midwives is an increasing focus in birth equity efforts. This qualitative study helps fill the gap in literature by assessing the perspectives and motivations of midwives of color. Methods Building on concepts from critical race theory, semistructured interviews (30-90 minutes long) were used to elicit an authentic voice from midwives of color, who primarily identified as African American. Participants (N = 7) were midwives who were affiliated with an African American-owned birth center in north Minneapolis, Minnesota. Participants represented an estimated 58% of all midwives of color in the state of Minnesota. Emergent themes were identified using a grounded theory, inductive approach. Three rounds of coding were conducted, and key themes were identified and analyzed. Results Three primary themes emerged as motivations for midwives of color: 1) offering racially concordant care to the community, 2) racial justice as a primary motivation in their work, and 3) providing physically and emotionally safe care. Racially concordant care was identified both as a motivating factor and as a way of providing physically and emotionally safe care. Discussion Findings suggest that midwives of color maintain a critical analysis of and commitment to eliminating racial perinatal inequities. Their motivation to provide racially concordant care elicits an urgency in current efforts to recruit and train more midwives of color, recognizing the current lack of racial and ethnic diversity in the field. Understanding how to support the work of equity-minded midwives of color may help to improve access to racially concordant health care providers and care that better meets the unique needs of African American individuals.
Cyber-physical postural training system for construction workers

Abstract Risks of work-related musculoskeletal injuries can be reduced by adequately training construction workers on performing work in safe postures. Traditional training approaches provide limited support for performing work tasks and receiving real-time feedback. This paper describes a cyber-physical postural training environment where workers can practice to perform work with reduced ergonomic risks. The proposed system uses wearable sensors, Vive trackers, machine learning and virtual reality to track body kinematics, and engagement with physical construction resources, and provides feedback via an interactive user interface. The postural training system was developed for training workers engaged in wood frame construction. User study of the effectiveness of the feedback and user interface was conducted. Findings showed that the user interface was perceived as convenient with limited interference with the workspace. The feedback was understandable in learning risks associated with participant's postures. Further research will involve conducting formative workload evaluation of the user interface and developing a reinforcement learning model for adapting the feedback based on the state of learning.
Risk Assessment and Involuntary Commitment

Prior to the 1970s, there was little concern about the rights of individuals who were committed to mental institutions; it was seen as a benevolent act, to assist an individual in taking care of themselves. In 1972, a case from Wisconsin, Lessard v. Schmidt, proposed that since commitment represented a loss of liberty, it could only be done if an individual were dangerous to self or others. Most, but not all states adopted this line of reasoning, though some maintained that a need for treatment needed to be at the center of the rationale for involuntary hospitalization. Closely related to these laws, were several requiring treatment within the institution as a step toward eventually leaving the hospital. Other concepts such as the least restrictive alternative, and gravely disabled followed. Beginning in the 1980s several lawsuits also dealt with the right to refuse treatment, and the conditions under which this right could be overridden. Most recently, there has been a great deal of controversy surrounding the involuntary commitment of those individuals deemed to be sexually violent predators. One of the recurring issues is our inability to predict accurately future violent behavior.
A Classification Scheme for Basic Physics Concepts: Learning and Thinking from Neurodevelopmental Science Perspective

Conscious learning begins from the moment the neurosensors act on events in the physical-sociocultural (PSC) environment to create their mental representations. The sensors convert various forms of energies in the events into patterned electric signals; neural pathways carry those signals to the different parts of the brain to form new neural circuits and/or modify the existing circuits by leaving biochemical traces, which serve as memory; and the learning continues until the self-regulating "thought processes" associate new thoughts with the active circuits that contain the event information, in an emotional context. These thoughts, the thought processes, the corresponding neural circuits, and the actions continue to develop non-linearly, by following a set of transformation rules, from reflexes through abstract principles, which are the result of nested reciprocal influences, owing to further life-time experiences in the PSC environment. Using this frame work, the paper analyzes basic physics concepts to classify them into a hierarchically-complex scheme and proposes a mechanism for how a concept is associated with a set of patterns in the event-information, and how simpler concepts develop into more complex concepts using "Concepts Developmental Equations" (CDE).
China from a U.S. Policy Perspective

In this book, Eric J. Heikkila explores a truly important question that has not been adequately analyzed to date: how the rise of China alters the context in which the broad spectrum of policies in the United States should be assessed. Here, the policy domain of the U.S. government is carved into three broad spheres: economic policies: fiscal policy and deficits, trade policy, and employment and income sustainability policies: climate change, urban policy, and energy policy geopolitical policies: homeland security, defense policy, and foreign relations. For each domain, Heikkila assesses the key policy issues and tradeoffs, examining how the balance of such tradeoffs shifts due to China’s rise. In doing so, he demonstrates how a rising China exerts its gravitation pull on U.S. policy, not so much through lobbying or negotiation, but through the very nature of its being. A concluding chapter presents a workable synthesis derived from these diverse perspectives. At a time of increasing tensions, it is all the more important for U.S. policy makers to focus on the many substantive policy questions that are impacted by China’s rise. China from a U.S. Policy Perspective will be of key interest to scholars, practitioners, and students of policy analysis, U.S. politics, Chinese politics, and International Relations.
Building a Better Twitter: A Study of the Twitter Alternatives GNU Social, Quitter, rstat.us, and Twister

Drawing on interviews with developers and close readings of site interfaces and architectures, this essay explores four Twitter alternatives: GNU social, Twister, rstat.us and Quitter. The interviews and analyses of these Twitter alternatives reveals how these developers relate their projects to mainstream social media architectures and cultures; how they conceive of Twitter's development over time; how they think about legal issues as they make their alternatives; and whether or not they conceive of their work as activism. In sum, I explore how these developers are critically reverse engineering Twitter and how that process intersects with multiple concerns and tensions, and how these tensions are generating new ways to think about what it means to 'do' microblogging.
A 2.1 KHz Zero-Knowledge Processor with BubbleRAM

Zero-Knowledge (ZK) proofs (ZKP) are foundational in cryptography. Most recent ZK research focuses on non-interactive proofs (NIZK) of small statements, useful in blockchain scenarios. Another line, and our focus, instead targets proofs of large statements that are useful, e.g., in proving properties of programs in ZK. We specify a zero-knowledge processor that executes arbitrary programs written in a simple instruction set, and proves in ZK the correctness of the execution. Such an approach is well-suited for constructing ZK proofs of large statements as it efficiently supports complex programming constructs, such as loops and RAM access. Critically, we propose several novel ZK improvements that make our approach concretely efficient: (1) an efficient arithmetic representation with conversions to/from Boolean, (2) an efficient read-only memory that uses $2log n$ OTs per access, and (3) an efficient read-write memory, ourram, which uses $\frac1 2 log^2 n$ OTs per access. ourram beats linear scan for RAM of size $>3$ elements! Prior ZK systems used generic ORAM costing orders of magnitude more. We cast our system as a garbling scheme that can be plugged into the ZK protocol of [Jawurek et al, CCS'13]. Put together, our system is concretely efficient: for a processor instantiated with $512$KB of main memory, each processor cycle costs $24$KB of communication. We implemented our approach in \textttC++. On a 1Gbps LAN our implementation realizes a $2.1$KHz processor.
The Main Results

This chapter introduces the objects required for formulating the main results of Lioville-Riemann-Roch type. The results are formulated. In some cases, the Riemann-Roch type equalities cannot be achieved (counterexamples are shown), while inequalities still hold. These inequalities, however, can be applied, the same way the equalities are, for proving the existence of solutions of elliptic equations with prescribed zeros, poles, and growth at infinity.
Prediction of Secondary Dendrite Arm Spacing in Al Alloys Using Machine Learning

In this study, three machine learning (ML) models were developed to predict the secondary dendrite arm spacing (SDAS) and then predictions were validated experimentally. First, a three-layer artificial neural network (ANN) was built to predict the SDAS. Then, a linear regression model (LR) with backward selection method is applied to study the relationship of different elemental properties, processing parameters, and SDAS and make a prediction. A principle component analysis (PCA) further explores these relationships. The results show that the ANN model has the best performance compared with the LR and PCA models. Compared with the classical coarsening equation, the current SDAS predictions reveal a deviation from nearly linear relationship with the negative cubic root of cooling rate, which indicates there are other elemental properties that should be accounted for.
A meteorological overview of the ORACLES (ObseRvations of Aerosols above CLouds and their intEractionS) campaign over the southeast Atlantic during 2016–2018

Abstract. In 2016–2018, the ObsErvation of Aerosols above CLouds and their intEractionS (ORACLES) project undertook three major field campaigns in the Southeast (SE) Atlantic Ocean using research aircraft to better understand the impact of biomass burning (BB) aerosol transport to the SE Atlantic Ocean on climate. In particular, ORACLES was designed to investigate how BB aerosols interact with oceanic stratocumulus clouds, and how that interaction affects the radiation budget. Here, a meteorological analysis has been performed to support the interpretation of the airborne measurements for aerosol transport and its interaction with clouds during the deployments of September 2016, August 2017, and October 2018. The southern African easterly jet (AEJ-S), represented by the zonal wind at 600–700 hPa There are some notable meteorological anomalous characteristics for the three deployment months compared to the climatology: 1) During August 2017, the AEJ-S is slightly weaker than the climatological mean with an anomalous upper-level jet aloft (~6 km) around 10° S. The AEJ-S strength and moisture transport offshore increase at the end of August 2017. August 2017 is also drier over the SE Atlantic than climatology, with a stronger (by ~2 m s−1) LLJ. The large-scale anticyclone associated with St. Helena high in the SE Atlantic is stronger and closer to the coast than the climatological mean. 2) During September 2016, the AEJ-S intensity is slightly weaker than the climatological mean and the mid-level RH is slightly higher than the climatological mean, although differences are small. The LLJ is stronger (~1 m s−1) than the climatological mean. The large-scale anticyclone associated with St. Helena high in the SE Atlantic is stronger than the climatological mean. 3) During October 2018, the AEJ-S is slightly weaker than the climatological mean and slightly wetter compared to the climatological mean. LLJ is also weaker compared to the climatological mean. The large-scale anticyclone associated with St. Helena high in the SE Atlantic is slightly weaker and further southeast than the climatological mean. Precipitation regions migrate southward from August through October due to seasonal change. During all the deployment years, the sea surface temperatures (SST) over the SE Atlantic are warmer than the climatological means, although its impact on low-CF over the deployment region remains unclear at the daily to synoptic time scale.
Efficient and Successful Adr in Appellate Courts: What Matters Most?

If part of the goal of ADR is efficient resolution of legal disputes without trial, it is important to evaluate the effectiveness of ADR programs. This article analyzes whether the referral process and characteristics of court-sponsored ADR programs contributes to the success rates of ADR programs in state intermediate appellate courts. Using data on 706 appeals in 19 appellate courts, this article finds evidence that case-level criteria used to screen appeals do not play a significant role in success rates, but that a higher degree of court oversight leads to better success in appellate court ADR. The article suggests that a heightened amount of control by a court over its program through the use of court staff, court facilities, and mandatory mediation requirements produces more efficient and successful use of ADR.
Optimal Frequency Regulation using Packetized Energy Management.

Packetized energy management (PEM) is a demand dispatch scheme that can be used to provide ancillary services such as frequency regulation. In PEM, distributed energy resources (DERs) are granted uninterruptible access to the grid for a pre-specified time interval called the packet length. This results in a down ramp-limited response in PEM for DERs that can only consume power from the grid. In this work, a linearized virtual battery model of PEM is provided that is capable of predicting the down-ramp limited output of PEM and is used in a model predictive control (MPC) framework to improve the performance of PEM in tracking an automatic generation control (AGC) signal. By performing statistical analysis on the AGC regulation signal, PJM Reg-D, an ARMA model is derived as a predictor for the MPC-based precompensator. Finally, as an alternative to MPC, it is shown that by varying the packet length as a function of time, for example through packet randomization, frequency regulation can be improved under PEM.
Measuring Scholarly Impact in Law

In February 2019, U.S. News & World Report announced a proposal to use HeinOnline data to publish a scholarly impact ranking of law schools. As a result, interest in using scholarly metrics to quantitatively assess legal scholarship soared. Legal scholars debated several issues, including: the concept of evaluating scholarly impact through citation metrics; the ramifications of publishing this information alongside the highly criticized, but undeniably influential, U.S. News law school rankings; the optimal procedures for creating such a ranking; the rationale underlying the decisions involved in establishing a methodology; and HeinOnline’s available content and metrics. The concerns raised ultimately led U.S. News to abandon its planned ranking in summer 2021, two and a half years after its initial announcement. This article considers the views legal scholars expressed regarding the proposed ranking, contextualizing these ideas within broader principles of bibliometric analyses. It argues that although the U.S. News proposal died, legal bibliometric studies will persist and the academy should develop standards for the responsible creation and use of scholarly impact analyses.
Reduced-Order Solution of the Weakly Coupled Matrix Difference Riccati Equation

This paper presents a new method to get the solution of the weakly coupled matrix difference Riccati equation by solving two reduced order linear difference equations. The order reduction is achieved by using a decoupling transformation applied to the Hamiltonian matrix of a weakly coupled discrete linear-quadratic control problem. Since the decoupling transformation can be obtained, up to an arbitrary degree of accuracy at very low cost, this approach produces an efficient numerical method for solving weakly coupled difference Riccati equation.
Separation and Quantitation of CytochromecOxidase Subunits by Mono-Q Fast Protein Liquid Chromatography and C18 Reverse-Phase High-Performance Liquid Chromatography

Abstract Mono-Q fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC) combined with C18 reverse-phase HPLC was used for quantitative subunit analysis of bovine heart cytochrome c oxidase, a multisubunit membrane complex. By this approach normal cytochrome c oxidase preparations were shown to be a mixture of enzyme that has all 13 subunits and complexes that are missing 1–3 subunits. A distinct advantage of this procedure is that homogeneous 13- or 11-subunit enzyme can be easily isolated from heterogeneous cytochrome c oxidase mixtures. The method involves: (1) separation of complexes that are depleted of subunits using Mono-Q FPLC and (2) quantitative subunit analysis of the purified complexes by C18 reverse-phase HPLC with a water/acetonitrile gradient in 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid. The approach has four distinct advantages over other methods of analysis, e.g., sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS–PAGE) or C4 reverse-phase HPLC. (1) The reproducible yield and the baseline resolution between each eluting subunit permits quantitative determination of the subunit content with an accuracy of ± 5%. (2) Subunits that are very difficult to separate by SDS–PAGE, e.g., subunits VIa, VIb, and VIc, are completely resolved by this system. (3) The combination of Mono-Q purification and C18 reverse-phase HPLC analysis permits an accurate assessment of both homogeneity and subunit content. (4) The quantitative nature of the reverse-phase HPLC system also makes it a powerful method for analyzing the specificity and extent of chemical modification of specific subunits as is shown by the difference in reac tivity of subunit VIa toward N -iodoacetylamidoethyl-1-aminonaphthalene-5-sulfonate and 4,4′-dipyridyl disulfide.
Knocking down barriers: advances in siRNA delivery

In the 10 years that have passed since the Nobel prize-winning discovery of RNA interference (RNAi), billions of dollars have been invested in the therapeutic application of gene silencing in humans. Today, there are promising data from ongoing clinical trials for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration and respiratory syncytial virus. Despite these early successes, however, the widespread use of RNAi therapeutics for disease prevention and treatment requires the development of clinically suitable, safe and effective drug delivery vehicles. Here, we provide an update on the progress of RNAi therapeutics and highlight novel synthetic materials for the encapsulation and intracellular delivery of nucleic acids.
An investigation into the employment and occupation of patients with a spinal cord injury

This study has attempted to ascertain the employment status of a group of 114 expatients with a traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). The group was 1-7 years post injury. Out of the 114 subjects, 31% were in paid employment and 21% were either in full time education or training. There were 23% unemployed and seeking work and 25% unemployed and not seeking work. Occupations prior to the spinal cord injury were wide ranging throughout all employment categories, with the engineering and science category being most prevalent. Those in employment post injury showed a move towards the administration, clerical and finance categories, with science and engineering also providing some jobs.
Subacute brachial diplegia associated with West Nile virus myelitis.

Introduction: Brachial diplegia is a clinical term used to describe weakness restricted to the upper extremities. We report a case of brachial diplegia associated with West Nile virus infection. Methods: A 48-year-old man developed severe painless bilateral upper extremity weakness within a few weeks of a flu-like illness. Results: Clinical examination revealed marked periscapular, shoulder girdle, and humeral muscle atrophy and bilateral scapular winging, with near symmetrical bilateral hypotonic upper extremity weakness. This was associated with clinical signs of an encephalomyelopathy without cognitive or sensory deficits. Electrophysiological studies demonstrated a subacute disorder of motor neurons, their axons or both, involving the cervical and thoracic myotomes, with ongoing denervation. Serological studies confirmed recent West Nile virus (WNV) infection. Gradual improvement occurred following conservative supportive therapies. Conclusions: Progressive brachial diplegia is a rare neuromuscular presentation of WNV neuroinvasive disease. This case report adds to the clinical spectrum of WNV-induced neurologic sequelae. Muscle Nerve 45: 900-904, 2012
Characterizing the Quasi-periodic Oscillation Behavior of the X-Ray Nova XTE J1550–564

For all 209 Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer observations of the X-ray nova XTE J1550-564 during its major outburst of 1998-1999, we have analyzed the X-ray power spectra, phase lags, and coherence functions. These observations constitute one of the richest and most complete data sets obtained for any black hole X-ray nova. The phase lags and coherence measures of low-frequency quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs; ν 100 Hz). In general, the amplitude of low-frequency QPOs decreases when high-frequency oscillations appear, and when both low-frequency and high-frequency QPOs are present, their Q-values (ν/FWHM) are anticorrelated. We speculate that this opposition between low-frequency and high-frequency QPOs arises from competing structures in a perturbed accretion disk. However, we find that the frequencies of slow and fast QPOs are not correlated. In addition, we encounter systematic problems in attempting to reliably compare the QPO frequencies with broad features in the power continuum, since there are a variable number of features or spectral breaks in the power spectra. These results cast some doubt on the reported global relationship between QPOs from neutron stars and those from black hole systems.
Improving Lifetime of Multicore Soft Real-Time Systems through Global Utilization Control

System lifetime reliability is an important design consideration for many real-time embedded systems. Increasing integrated circuit power density and the subsequent rise in chip temperature negatively impact the lifetime reliability of such systems. Although existing thermal-aware methods are effective in reducing temperature, they cannot increase, and may even hamper, the system lifetime reliability. The complicated relationship between temperature and system lifetime requires that reliability be considered explicitly during system design. This paper presents a reliability-aware utilization control framework for homogeneous multicore soft real-time systems. The framework employs a model predictive controller to increase the system lifetime by manipulating the utilization of real-time tasks. An online heuristic algorithm is introduced to adjust the controller's sampling window in order to reduce the effects of thermal cycling on reliability. Simulation results show that the proposed approach can improve the system mean time to failure by at least 43% and as much as 369% compared to existing techniques.
Bacterial methylmercury degradation in Florida everglades peat sediment

Methylmercury (MeHg) degradation was investigated along an eutrophication gradient in the Florida Everglades by quantifying 14CH4 and 14CO2 production after incubation of anaerobic sediments with [14C]MeHg. Degradation rate constants (k) were consistently ≤0.1 d-1 and decreased with sediment depth. Higher k values were observed when shorter incubation times and lower MeHg amendment levels were used, and k increased 2-fold as in-situ MeHg concentrations were approached. The average floc layer k was 0.046 ± 0.023 d-1 (n = 17) for 1−2 day incubations. In-situ degradation rates were estimated to be 0.02−0.5 ng of MeHg (g of dry sediment)-1 d-1, increasing from eutrophied to pristine areas. Nitrate-respiring bacteria did not demethylate MeHg, and NO3- addition partially inhibited degradation in some cases. MeHg degradation rates were not affected by PO43- addition. 14CO2 production in all samples indicated that oxidative demethylation (OD) was an important degradation mechanism. OD occurred over 5 orders of ma...
Paleogene Sequence in Northern Channel Islands, California: ABSTRACT

Cretaceous and/or lower Tertiary marine sedimentary rocks crop out on the three major northern Channel Islands. Study of the rocks and their contained foraminiferal assemblages reveals many faunal and lithologic similarities between these three islands. On Santa Cruz Island foraminiferal assemblages indicate that deposition of Cretaceous and Paleocene strata took place in a shallow-water marine basin which became continuously deeper during Eocene time until lower bathyal depths were present by the end of late Eocene time. Sedimentary structures and textures, as well as lateral thickening of strata, suggest source areas on the north or northeast. On Santa Rosa Island, where the oldest rocks exposed are of middle and late Eocene ages, foraminiferal assemblages indicate a similar deepening. On the west, however, foraminifers from Cretaceous and early Tertiary strata of San Miguel Island indicate continuous deep-water conditions and open-ocean circulation during Cretaceous, Paleocene, and Eocene times. The writer suggests that all three depositional sites were part of a single basin or two closely contiguous basins with a northwest-southeast axial trend. End_of_Article - Last_Page 469------------
Effect of environmental factors on film badge dosimetry readings of dental office personnel

Inadvertent exposure of film badges to environmental factors may produce fogging of the film and yield higher radiation exposure readings. Common environmental factors in everyday living were studied to assess their effect on film badge readings. Only heat appeared to have any significant effect, because moisture, chemicals, pressure, cold temperature, and non-work-related electromagnetic radiation did not substantially alter film badge readings. Therefore not all unexplained high readings on personnel film badge reports may be due to heat or other common environmental factors evaluated in this study.
Synthesis of hydroxyethylene and ketomethylene dipeptide isosteres

Abstract A general stereo-directed synthesis of “ketomethylene” and “hydroxyethylene” dipeptide isosteres is reported. Peptides containing the amino acids, ( 2R , 5S )-5-amino-4-oxo-2,8-dimethyloctanoic acid (the “ketomethylene” analog of L-Leu-L-Ala), and ( 2R , 5S -5-amino-4-hydroxy-2,8-dimethyloctanoic acid (the “hydroxyethylene” analog of L-Leu-L-Ala) were synthesized as analogs of pepstatin with statine replaced by the Leu-Ala isosteres.
Mesospheric electric field transients due to tropospheric lightning discharges

A physical picture and quantitative two-dimensional electromagnetic modeling of mesospheric electric field transients produced by cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning discharges with short duration currents (<0.5 ms) are presented. The range of applicability of existing quasi-electrostatic models of sprites and the physical conditions under which relatively weak CG lightning discharges (thundercloud charge moment changes less than 50C×10 km) may initiate sprites are discussed in the context of recent experimental findings.
Structure and dynamics of quantum clusters

Abstract Quantum clusters are van der Waals aggregates of light atomic and molecular species whose behaviour is dominated by quantum delocalization and exchange effects. We summarize here recent theoretical and experimental studies of helium and molecular hydrogen clusters, focusing primarily on techniques developed to address the quantum nature of these systems. Indicators of superfluid behaviour are discussed, as well as the use of molecular probe species to study structural and dynamical properties.