cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Elastic Ladar Modeling for Synthetic Imaging Applications

The Digital Imaging and Remote Sensing Image Generation (DIRSIG) model is a synthetic imagery generation model developed at the Center for Imaging Science (CIS) at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). It is a quantitative first principle based model that calculates the sensor reaching radiance from the visible through to the long wave infrared on a spectral basis. DIRSIG generates a very accurate representation of what a sensor would see by modeling all the processes involved in the imaging chain. Currently, DIRSIG only models passive sources such as the sun and blackbody radiation due to the temperature of an object. Active systems have the benefit of the user being able to control the illumination source and tailor it for specific applications. Remote sensing Laser Detection and Ranging (LADAR) systems that utilize a laser as the active source have been in existence for over 30 years. Recent advances in tunable lasers and infrared detectors have allowed much more sophisticated and accurate work to be done, but a comprehensive spectral LADAR model has yet to be developed. In order to provide a tool to assist in LADAR development, this research incorporates a first principle based elastic LADAR model into DIRSIG. It calculates the irradiance onto the focal plane on a spectral basis for both the atmospheric and topographic return, based on the system characteristics and the assumed atmosphere. The geometrical form factor, a measure of the overlap between the sensor and receiver field-of-view, is carefully accounted for in both the monostatic and bistatic cases. The model includes the effect of multiple bounces from topographical targets. Currently, only direct detection systems will be modeled. Several sources of noise are extensively modeled, such as speckle from rough surfaces. Additionally, atmospheric turbulence effects including scintillation, beam effects, and image effects are accounted for. To allow for future growth, the model and coding are modular and anticipate the inclusion of advanced sensor modules and inelastic scattering.
Intercontinental comparison of fish ecomorphology: null model tests of community assembly at the patch scale in rivers

Community assembly is affected by environmental filtering that restricts viable phenotypes and by species interactions that impose limits on interspecific trait similarity. Relative influences of these processes should vary according to habitat features and dispersal. Species dispersion within assemblage trait space also should vary in relation to species richness, strength of competition, and the spatiotemporal scale of analysis. We examined ecomorphological diversity of two freshwater fish families (Neotropical Cichlidae, Nearctic Centrarchidae) to test theories of local assembly from regional species pools and theories of species packing within mesohabitat patches. Cichlid and centrarchid assemblages were surveyed in four floodplain rivers (two in South America and two in North America) during low-water periods when fish densities are highest. Surveys were conducted in four mesohabitat types (submerged wood, leaf litter, rocks, sand bank) within river channels and floodplain lakes. We measured 23 morph...
Bypass of A- and B-Signaling Requirements for Myxococcus xanthus Development by Mutations in spdR

Mutations in spdR, previously reported to bypass the developmental requirement for B-signaling in Myxococcus xanthus, also bypass the requirement for A-signaling but not C-, D-, or E-signaling. Mutations in spdR restored nearly wild-type levels of sporulation to representative A-signal-deficient mutants carrying asgA476, asgB480, and asgC767 and improved the quality of fruiting body formation in the asgB480 mutant. The defect in A-factor production by the asgB480 mutant was not restored in the spdR2134 asgB480 double mutant.
Numerical modeling and analysis of early shock wave interactions with a dense particle cloud

Dense compressible multiphase flows exist in variable phase turbines, explosions, and fluidized beds, where the particle volume fraction is in the range 0.001 <α d < 0.5 .A simple model problem that can be used to study modeling issues related to these types of flows is a shock wave impacting a particle cloud. In order to characterize the initial shock-particle interactions when there is little particle movement, a two-dimensional (2-D) model problem is created where the particles are frozen in place. Qualitative comparison with experimental data indicates that the 2-D model captures the essential flow physics. Volume-averaging of the 2-D data is used to reduce the data to one dimension, and x-t diagrams are used to characterize the flow behavior. An equivalent one-dimensional (1-D) model problem is developed for direct comparison with the 2-D model. While the 1-D model characterizes the overall steady-state flow behavior well, it fails to capture aspects of the unsteady behavior. As might be expected, it is found that neglecting the unclosed fluctuation terms inherent in the volume-averaged equations is not appropriate for dense gas-particle flows.
Greco-Roman lessons for public debt management and debt market development

Greece and Italy initiated efforts to improve public debt management and develop their domestic debt markets respectively in the late 1970s and mid-1980s. At that time, both countries suffered from large and rapidly growing public debt, excessive reliance on short-term bills held by commercial banks, a strong preference of households to save in bank deposits, and a weak presence of institutional investors (pension funds, insurance companies, and mutual funds). Continuing large fiscal deficits, high levels of interest rates and inflation, and serious policy credibility problems impeded the use of long-term instruments. The authors provide a detailed analysis of the characteristics of the instruments that were used in these two countries, their pace of issuance, and their impact on the composition of public debt. The authors note that the main Greco-Roman lesson for developing and transition countries concerns the transition from an excessive reliance on short-term Treasury bills, held by captive banks, to a liquid market with long-term instruments held, and actively traded, by long-term institutional investors. The transition required moving gradually to medium-term instruments, experimenting with innovation, and targeting households and foreign investors, while taking steps to establish policy credibility by lowering fiscal deficits and inflation. When reliance on captive sources of finance was substantially reduced and policy credibility was established, both countries focused on developing active money markets and liquid secondary markets with benchmark issues of fixed-rate long-term securities. They ultimately succeeded in developing active professional markets, using modern practices, targeting well-established European institutional investors, and integrating into the highly sophisticated euro markets. However, integration into the euro markets was the culmination of a prolonged effort of modernization and adaptation and was greatly facilitated by their strong political commitment to achieve economic convergence and join the euro zone.
Target factor analysis of parameters influencing solute‐monomeric stationary phase interactions

Retention indices for 18 monomeric stationary-phase solvents and 33 organic solutes are factor analyzed. Six factors reproduce the data matrix near experimental error. The solvents diglycerol and zonyl E-7 are shown to be highly unique, whereas none of the solutes behaves uniquely. Combination sets of solvent vectors and of solute vectors from the data matrix lead to models having errors within experimental error. Basic factors which might influence the solute—solvent interactions are identified by the least-squares method of target testing. For the solvents, a number of properties, including McReynolds' constants and molecular weight, test successfully. For the solutes, carbon number and group dipole moment are representative properties which test successfully. The best combination of solvent basic factors gives errors about twice the experimental error. Combination sets composed only of McReynolds' constants do not model the data well.
Regulation of an Osmoticum-Responsive Gene in Anabaena sp. Strain PCC 7120

Salt-induced genes in the cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120 were identified by use of a Tn5-based transposon bearing luxAB as a reporter. The genomic sequence adjacent to one site of insertion of the transposon was identical in part to the sequence of the lti2 gene, which was previously identified in a differential screen for cold-induced transcripts in Anabaena variabilis. The lti2-like gene was induced by sucrose and other osmotica and by low temperature, in addition to salt. Regulatory components necessary for the induction of this gene by osmotica were sought by a further round of transposon mutagenesis. One mutant that displayed reduced transcriptional activity of the lti2-like gene in response to exposure to osmotica had an insertion in an open reading frame, which was denoted orrA, whose predicted product showed sequence similarity to response regulators from two-component regulatory systems. The corresponding mutation was reconstructed and was shown, like the second-site transposon mutation, to result in reduced response to osmotic stress. Induction of the lux reporter gene by osmotica was restored by complementation with a genomic fragment containing the entire open reading frame for the presumptive response regulator, whereas a fragment containing a truncated copy of the open reading frame for the response regulator did not complement the mutation.
Predictive frequency spectrum shaping of currents in a three phase inverter

Model predictive control is a very intuitive, simple, and flexible control strategy that can be applied to any converter topology achieving a wide variety of control objectives. However, one of the disadvantages of this control method is the variable switching frequency of the gate signals, which increase the losses and can generate resonances. In this paper, a simple and powerful method to shape the switching frequency spectrum of the gate signals of the converter is proposed. The proposed method is very flexible allowing to avoid, displace or concentrate the frequency spectrum in an specific range of switching frequencies. The method is based on a virtual filter which is simulated inside the digital processor and its output is evaluated, similarly to the load model, for each one of the possible switching states, incorporating later this information to the cost function. Simulation results shows the validity and performance of the proposed control.
Factors Associated with Revision Adenoidectomy

Objective. To determine whether patient factors (eg, indication for initial surgery, medical comorbidity, or age) are associated with adenoid regrowth and subsequent need for revision adenoidectomy and whether surgical factors (eg, surgical technique or level of surgeon’s training) are associated with adenoid regrowth and subsequent need for revision adenoidectomy.Study Design. Historical cohort study.Setting. Tertiary care academic medical center.Subjects and Methods. Children (≤18 years) who underwent adenoidectomy or adenotonsillectomy between 1980 and May 2009 were identified. Medical and surgical records were reviewed for sex, age at surgery, indication for surgery, training level of surgeon, surgical technique, and history of allergies, asthma, or gastroesophageal reflux disease.Results. Of 8245 surgical cases (53.8% male), 163 were revision adenoidectomies. Age at initial adenoidectomy was a significant factor for revision adenoidectomy, with younger ages associated with higher increased risk. Indi...
Postural Balance Understanding This Complex Mechanism

Postural balance is a complex mechanism that is an enigma to most individuals. This column examines the biomechanics of posture and balance, looks at postural balance across the life span, and identifies conditions or situations that interfere with balance. Prevention measures are also discussed.
R-conjugate codes for multi-code CDMA

The multi-code CDMA problem, and the corresponding data and noise model is discussed. The problem of "crosstalk", which occurs when using an MMSE receiver in colored noise, is addressed. A method to avoid "crosstalk", by choosing the eigenvectors of the interference plus noise matrix as codes, is introduced. This approach is shown to produce codes that are orthogonal not only in the conventional sense, but also with respect to the interference plus noise matrix. The gain on the codes is shown to be inversely proportional to the corresponding eigenvalue. Simulation results demonstrate that the codes corresponding to the smallest eigenvalues dramatically outperform the MMSE receiver for Walsh-Hadamard codes in terms of mean-square error (MSE).
A Minimum-Impact Routing Algorithm

A routing heuristic is presented that routes two-terminal nets one at a time, for each net choosing the path so as to avoid adversely impacting the nets not yet routed. An algorithm is presented and proved to correctly implement this heuristic; the computational complexity of that algorithm is shown to be polynomially bounded, but perhaps still too great to be of practical use. Another, speedier algorithm is presented that seems to approximate the heuristic rather closely. Strong evidence is given that the Lee routing algorithm is in some sense inadequate to implement this heuristic. The heuristic has been applied, with very encouraging results, to a specific routing problem: the routing of a channel in which all four sides of the channel may contain terminals. This problem arises in the layout of custom VLSI.
Symbolic Politics and the Prediction of Attitudes Toward Federal Regulation of Reduced-Exposure Tobacco Products

The present study relies on symbolic politics theory to predict public attitudes toward the federal regulation of conventional tobacco products (a familiar attitude object) and reduced-exposure tobacco products (a relatively novel attitude object). We predicted that attitudes toward most forms of regulation would be more strongly influenced by symbolic beliefs about the role of government in society than by self-interested concerns, with the exception of taxation. We predicted that the financial consequences of taxation policies would be less ambiguous for those who are affected, resulting in a stronger relationship between self-interest and policy attitudes. The results strongly supported our hypotheses, suggesting a process by which symbolic beliefs and self-interested concerns influence attitude formation. Theoretical and policy implications are discussed.
Haloacetic Acids as Corrosion Inhibitors for Brass in Nitric Acid

Abstract The effect of chloro, dichloro, trichloro, bromo, and iodoacetic acids on corrosion of brass in dilute nitric acid has been studied using weight loss and polarization techniques. A signifi...
Numerical methods for the optimization of nonlinear stochastic delay systems, and an application to internet regulation

The Markov chain approximation method is an effective and widely used approach for computing optimal values and controls for stochastic systems. It was extended to nonlinear (and possibly reflected) diffusions with delays in a recent book. The path, control, and reflection terms can all be delayed. In models of communications systems, reflection terms correspond to buffer overflows, and to the adjustments needed to keep the buffers and rates nonnegative and bounded. The book concentrated on convergence proofs for general algorithms of promising forms. If the control and/or reflection terms are delayed, the memory requirements can make the problem intractable, since these have little or no regularity. For such models, the problem was recast in terms of a “wave” or “transportation” equation, to get practical algorithms with very much reduced computational needs. The overall approach to getting usable algorithms is outlined. The methods are applied to an ideal model of a communications system with transportation delay. and it is seen that nearly optimal controls for appropriately chosen criteria can improve the performance considerably and be robust in the face of changing operating conditions. The data illustrate the potential usefulness of numerical methods for nonlinear stochastic systems with delays. It opens up new avenues of control for consideration.
Endothelial dystrophy, iris hypoplasia, congenital cataract, and stromal thinning (edict) syndrome maps to chromosome 15q22.1–q25.3☆

Abstract PURPOSE: To localize a gene causing a newly described autosomal dominant anterior segment dysgenesis characterized by corneal endothelial dystrophy, iris hypoplasia, congenital cataracts, and corneal stromal thinning (EDICT syndrome). DESIGN: Experimental study. METHODS: A set of microsatellite markers spanning the 22 human autosomes was used to perform linkage analysis on affected and unaffected individuals within a single family. RESULTS: Linkage analysis of the anterior segment dysgenesis endothelial dystrophy, iris hypoplasia, congenital cataract, and stromal thinning (EDICT) syndrome in this family revealed a logarithm of the odds (LOD) score of 2.71 on chromosome 15q22.1–25.3 between markers D15993 and D15S202. These results suggest a gene for EDICT syndrome lies in this chromosomal region. CONCLUSIONS: A LOD score of 2.71 suggests a novel locus associated with the newly described EDICT syndrome lies in a region of chromosome 15 between markers D15S993 and D15S202. Identification of the disease-causing gene in this region may yield insights into a broad range of disorders affecting the corneal stroma, endothelium, iris, and lens.
A model for coplanar waveguide transmission line structures on semiconductor substrates

An accurate model for coplanar waveguide transmission line structures on semiconductive substrates is presented. The model is useful for simulating long (> 0.5 mm) interconnects on LSI and VLSI GaAs circuits as well as high speed Si ICs. When simulated in the frequency domain, the model shows an excellent match to measured S parameters of coplanar waveguide samples. >
Employee Stock Options And Market Efficiency

This study investigates market reaction to SFAS 123 Revised, “Share Based Payment,” which requires companies to recognize the fair value of employee stock options as expense on the income statement. Using a sample of 128 firms for the 2004 and 2005 periods, we find that markets have efficiently incorporated information formerly disclosed only in footnotes to the financial statements, effectively nullifying the argument that formally recognizing the expense would have a deleterious effect on stock prices of firms offering this type of compensation.
Packaging and Sterilization of UHMWPE

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the historical and contemporary packaging and sterilization methods for ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE). All of the sterilization methods employed by the orthopedic community fulfill their intended purpose, namely the eradication of bacterial agents, which may result in sepsis and premature revision. The diverse sterilization methods in current use reflect the lack of scientific consensus as to which of the currently favored sterilization methods provides the most advantageous long-term UHMWPE product for the ultimate user, namely the patient. UHMWPE components for joint replacement have been stored in air-permeable packaging and gamma sterilized with a nominal dose of 25 kGy. There are many types of barrier packaging currently in use by the orthopedic industry. The details about current packaging systems for orthopedic components are proprietary but basically consist of evacuating the air from the packaging and backfilling with an inert gas. Gamma sterilization of UHMWPE in air permeable packaging was the norm in orthopedics. Orthopedic companies for UHMWPE components employ a broad range of sterilization and packaging methods. For gamma sterilization, barrier-packaging methods have been widely adopted and, until recently, were thought to satisfactorily address the historical problem of oxidation during shelf aging.
Separation technologies for food wastewater treatment and product recovery.

Publisher Summary Proper treatment of food processing wastes, including the recovery of valuable products, is important both environmentally and economically to the food processing industry. The quantity and quality of wastes and wastewaters generated in the food industry vary widely. The characteristics of a specific waste depend mainly on the product being processed, the processing methods, and the amount of water used to wash raw materials and clean equipment. Segregating waste streams at the source will facilitate resource recovery and reduce the amount of waste that has to be treated. That often results in simpler operations, less energy consumption and lower treatment costs. One simple but effective segregation practice is to separate liquid streams from solid streams. This chapter discusses both the theoretical basics and practical applications of different separation technologies. A separation process may be defined as a unit operation that divides multi-component or multi-phase material into two or more components and/or phases, using physical, thermal, chemical or biological principles. It may involve changing the phase of the matter.
Hypocupremia secondary to excessive zinc supplementation and gastric surgery.

In humans, copper deficiency is a rare cause of myeloneuropathy. The neurologic syndrome was first recognized in ruminants afflicted with an ataxic myelopathy colloquially referred to as “swayback disease,” which describes the characteristic swaying hindquarters in animals. The incidence and recognition of acquired copper deficiency in humans is increasing alongside the frequency of bariatric surgery and other gastrointestinal surgeries1 and excessive zinc ingestion.2 Copper is primarily absorbed through the stomach and duodenum and is important in the normal function of both the central and peripheral nervous systems.3 Excessive zinc consumption causes increased expression of metallothionein in enterocytes, which preferentially binds copper. As a result, most of the copper ingested is not absorbed but rather sloughed off with the enterocytes into the lumen.2
Conservation of Isotopic Spin and Isotopic Gauge Invariance

It is pointed out that the usual principle of invariance under isotopic spin rotation is not consistant with the concept of localized fields. The possibility is explored of having invariance under local isotopic spin rotations. This leads to formulating a principle of isotopic gauge invariance and the existence of a b field which has the same relation to the isotopic spin that the electromagnetic field has to the electric charge. The b field satisfies nonlinear differential equations. The quanta of the b field are particles with spin unity, isotopic spin unity, and electric charge $\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}e$ or zero.
Controlling Propagation at Group Scale on Networks

Given a network with groups, such as a contact-network grouped by ages, which are the best groups to immunize to control the epidemic? Equivalently, how to best choose communities in social networks like Facebook to stop rumors from spreading? Immunization is an important problem in multiple different domains like epidemiology, public health, cyber security and social media. Additionally, clearly immunization at group scale (like schools and communities) is more realistic due to constraints in implementations and compliance (e.g., it is hard to ensure specific individuals take the adequate vaccine). Hence efficient algorithms for such a "group-based" problem can help public-health experts take more practical decisions. However most prior work has looked into individual-scale immunization. In this paper, we study the problem of controlling propagation at group scale. We formulate novel so-called Group Immunization problems for multiple natural settings (for both threshold and cascade-based contagion models under both node-level and edge-level interventions) and develop multiple efficient algorithms, including provably approximate solutions. Finally, we show the effectiveness of our methods via extensive experiments on real and synthetic datasets.
Online induction heating for determination of isotope composition of woody stem water with laser spectrometry: a methods assessment

Application of stable isotopes of water to studies of plant-soil interactions often requires a substantial preparatory step of extracting water from samples without fractionating isotopes. Online heating is an emerging approach for this need, but is relatively untested and major questions of how to best deliver standards and assess interference by organics have not been evaluated. We examined these issues in our application of measuring woody stem xylem of sagebrush using a Picarro laser spectrometer with online induction heating. We determined (1) effects of cryogenic compared to induction-heating extraction, (2) effects of delivery of standards on filter media compared to on woody stem sections, and (3) spectral interference from organic compounds for these approaches (and developed a technique to do so). Our results suggest that matching sample and standard media improves accuracy, but that isotopic values differ with the extraction method in ways that are not due to spectral interference from organics.
Between Jesus And The Gospels

A new and not unfruitful stage in the literary criticism of the gospels seems to be marked by the recent publication in Germany of three important books. For nearly a century the Synoptic problem has absorbed the attention of scholars. The fascinating riddle of likeness and difference in our first three gospels challenged them to find a solution. It became clear that this was a question of written sources, and for many minds the “two-document hypothesis,” that Mark and some other common written Greek material (Q) are embodied independently in Matthew and in Luke, has come to provide a working basis of investigation, although the categorical denial of this view by the Papal Biblical Commission makes it impossible for Roman Catholic scholars to accept it in its current form. There remain, however, the question of other Greek sources, as, for example, the sources for Mark's and for Luke's special material, and the question of the possibility of Semitic originals, on which no conclusion has been attained and on which perhaps more light may soon be expected from further studies.
Endothelin B-receptor mediates ET-1 effects on cAMP and PGE2 accumulation in rat IMCD

Endothelin (ET) potently inhibits arginine vasopressin (AVP)-induced adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) accumulation and Na-K-adenosinetriphosphatase (Na-K-ATPase) activity in the inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD). At least two types of ET receptors exist: ETA [binds ET-1 > ET-3 = sarafotoxin S6c (S6c)] and ETB (binds ET-1 = ET-3 = S6c). We examined which of these receptors mediates biological actions of ET in freshly isolated rat IMCD cells. Binding studies revealed comparable displacement of 125I-ET-3 by ET-1, ET-3, and S6c, whereas 125I-ET-1 was displaced by ET-1 >> ET-3 = S6c. Together, these studies confirm the presence of receptors in the IMCD with ETA and ETB binding characteristics. ET-1, ET-3, and S6c were equipotent in reducing AVP-stimulated cAMP accumulation. BQ-123, at concentrations selective for ETA receptor antagonism, did not alter the effect of ET-1, ET-3, or S6c. Pertussis toxin or protein kinase C blockade, but not indomethacin, inhibited the effect of ET-1 and S6c on AVP-stimulated cAMP accumulation, consistent with activation of the same signal transduction pathways. ET-1 and S6c were equipotent in reducing forskolin-stimulated cAMP accumulation, ruling out inhibition of AVP-receptor interaction as a common mechanism of action. Finally, ET-1, ET-3, and S6c caused comparable stimulation of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) accumulation, an effect that was not blocked by BQ-123. These data indicate that an ETB-like receptor mediates ET stimulation of PGE2 and inhibition of AVP-enhanced cAMP accumulation in the IMCD. The function of the ETA-like receptor in the IMCD remains to be determined.
Identification of N-Terminal and C-Terminal Amino Acids

In the structural investigation of proteins important information can be obtained by hydrolysis and analysis of the liberated amino acids. With this procedure it is possible to discover which amino acids are present in a particular protein, but the biologic activities of proteins are determined by the sequence of the amino acids in the Polypeptide chain and by the folding of these chains.
The Artist and Technology: William Gaddis’s Agapē Agape, or the World’s Smallest Player Piano Playing Itself Just for You

Here I examine the player piano as a forerunner of contemporary wish images of music reproduction. Through William Gaddis’s novel, Agapē Agape, I track wish images that pertain to both consumers and creators of music. Critics generally argue that Gaddis offers a conservative defense of the Romantic artistic genius against the threat posed by technologically reproducible art. However, I argue that underneath Gaddis’s speaker’s conservative bluster and irony is a utopian dimension of the novel that recognizes not the opposition but rather the complicity between the angry Romantic artist and capitalism’s instrumental uses of technology. Through the novel’s meditation on the player piano, there emerges a repressed technological wish image for a better world without (capitalist) artists, or even the need for them.
Social Judgments as a Measure of Right Mindfulness

Mindfulness should be associated with decreased automatic responding and with increased empathy and compassion. Therefore, given an opportunity to express judgments about other people, a highly mindful person should be less inclined to express negative and unnecessary judgments. The present study provided participants the opportunity to express judgments about photographs of other people in a procedure that attempted to control for potential demand characteristics associated with self-report measures of mindfulness. Expressed judgments were panel rated, and the derived judgment scores were regressed with participant scores on the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) and the Five Facets of Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ). Results demonstrated no overall significant relationship between judgments and MAAS or FFMQ total scores. However, a significant relationship between judgment scores and the “act with awareness” and the “non-judgment” facets of the FFMQ was observed. Judgment scores were also related...
Finding hash collisions using MPI on HPC clusters

In cryptography, a hash function is a very important cryptographic primitive with a wide range of applications. There are three required properties for a good hash function, i.e., collision, pre-image, and second pre-image resistance. In this paper, we try to contest these properties on a popular and widely used hash function called MD5 - and its two simplified versions that we made. The birthday attack technique was used to test MD5's general collision resistance, while the brute force method was used in the search for pre-image and second pre-image collisions. We calculated the Hamming distance to monitor the progress in our search for a collision; the smaller the Hamming distance the better. Our input domain for the MD5 hash function consisted of hexadecimal bit-strings and strategically generated ASCII character strings. Since finding hash collisions demands much more computing power and storage, we wrote C parallel programs in conjunction with the Message Passing Interface (MPI) library that runs over multiple processors / cores in the heavily used CUNY HPC cluster called Penzias. Multiple search / sort / merge algorithms were tested, not only to reduce time and space complexities, but also to improve performance. Hash distributions, numerous arbitrary meaningless and a few meaningful collisions were found.
Delineation of Prior Austenite Grain Boundaries in a Low-Alloy High-Performance Steel

Characterization of prior austenite grain size is important for understanding the microstructure–property relationships in steels. The prior austenite grain size plays an important role in defining the microstructural scale of low-temperature phases and the mechanical properties (e.g., strength, ductility, fracture toughness, etc.) of steels in the final product form. Moreover, in several failure analyses, the cracks are observed to propagate along the prior austenite grain boundaries (PAGBs). The delineation of PAGBs in steels of new composition can be quite challenging, as the response to a particular etching protocol is very sensitive to the chemical composition of steel. The objective of this study was to establish a methodology to delineate PAGBs in AF9628, a newly developed low-alloy high-performance steel. Several different etchants and etching techniques from the literature were evaluated. These methods were unsuccessful or had limited success in revealing PAGBs in AF9628. However, swab etching with a solution of 100 ml saturated aqueous picric acid and 0.5 g sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate worked remarkably well for delineating the PAGBs in this steel. This etchant was found to have high selectivity, revealing PAGBs preferentially over packet, block, and sub-block boundaries.
Low-dose NSAIDs reduce pain via macrophage targeted nanoemulsion delivery to neuroinflammation of the sciatic nerve in rat

Abstract Neuroinflammation involving macrophages elevates Prostaglandin E2, associated with neuropathic pain. Treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) inhibits cyclooxygenase, reducing PGE2. However, NSAIDs cause physiological complications. We developed nanoemulsions incorporating celecoxib and near infrared dye. Intravenous injected nanoemulsion is incorporated into monocytes that accumulate at the injury; revealed in live animals by fluorescence. A single dose (celecoxib 0.24 mg/kg) provides targeted delivery in chronic constriction injury rats, resulting in significant reduction in the visualized inflammation, infiltration of macrophages, COX-2 and PGE2. Animals exhibit relief from hypersensitivity persisting at least four-days. The total body burden of drug is reduced by >2000 fold over oral drug delivery.
Islamic Education in the United States and the Evolution of Muslim Nonprofit Institutions

If school choice programs are to be vehicles for diverse people to obtain the education they want for their children, they need to give wide latitude in the choices allowed. But what if some school...
Native Hip Dislocations

Hip dislocations are rare injuries that occur in young patients involved in high energy trauma. They have a high incidence of associated injuries. The classification is determined by the position of the femoral head in relationship to the acetabulum—anterior or posterior. The direction of displacement is determined by the position of the leg at the time of impact (hip flexed/adducted, i.e., dashboard injury—posterior, hip abducted—anterior). The posterior hip dislocations are the most common—90%. The incidence of anterior hip dislocations is 10%. The treatment is EMERGENT REDUCTION.
System Calls for File Operations

This chapter covers system calls for file operations. It explains the role of system calls and the online manual pages of Linux. It shows how to use system calls for file operations. It lists and explains the most commonly used system calls for file operations. It explains hard link and symbolic link files. It explains the stat system call in detail. Based on the stat information, it develops a ls-like program to display directory contents and file information. Next, it explains the open-close-lseek system calls and file descriptors. Then it shows how to use read-write system calls to read-write file contents. Based on these, it shows how to use system calls to display and copy files. It shows how to develop a selective file copying program which behaves like a simplified dd utility program of Linux. The programming project is to use Linux system calls to implement a C program, which recursively copies a directory to a destination. The purpose of the project is for the reader to practice the design of hierarchical program structures and use stat(), open(), read(), write() system calls for file operations.
Active feminization of the preoptic area occurs independently of the gonads in Amphiprion ocellaris.

Abstract Sex differences in the anatomy and physiology of the vertebrate preoptic area (POA) arise during development, and influence sex-specific reproductive functions later in life. Relative to masculinization, mechanisms for feminization of the POA are not well understood. The purpose of this study was to induce sex change from male to female in the anemonefish Amphiprion ocellaris, and track the timing of changes in POA cytoarchitecture, composition of the gonads and circulating sex steroid levels. Reproductive males were paired together and then sampled after 3 weeks, 6 months, 1 year and 3 years. Results show that as males change sex into females, number of medium cells in the anterior POA (parvocellular region) approximately double to female levels over the course of several months to 1 year. Feminization of gonads, and plasma sex steroids occur independently, on a variable timescale, up to years after POA sex change has completed. Findings suggest the process of POA feminization is orchestrated by factors originating from within the brain as opposed to being cued from the gonads, consistent with the dominant hypothesis in mammals. Anemonefish provide an opportunity to explore active mechanisms responsible for female brain development in an individual with male gonads and circulating sex steroid levels.
Reappraisal of Ventilator-Free Days in Critical Care Research

Ventilator-free days (VFDs) are a commonly reported composite outcome measure in acute respiratory distress syndrome trials. VFDs combine survival and duration of ventilation in a manner that summa...
Autonomous Mars ISRU Robotic Excavation: Characteristics and Performance Targets

Characteristic hardware concepts and performance targets are described for a potential robotic excavation system that can operate and robotically maintain itself without regular human intervention. In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU)is the exploitation of available resources at the site of a landed spacecraft on the surface of another planetary body. This can include harvesting of atmosphere, regolith, or rock for direct use (e.g. as radiation or micrometeorite shielding)or for separation/purification (e.g. for propellant production). The objective of this study is to try to identify a potential ISRU architecture, specifically for extracting water from hydrated minerals identified from orbital multispectral imaging on Mars, which can be implemented in an affordable way. By its nature this architecture must incorporate not only all the conventional excavate / scoop / haul/dump / process functions of a terrestrial mining operation on Earth, but also the sorts of maintenance and repair capabilities which any terrestrial mining operation would require in order to stay operational for an extended duration. The early concepts described in this study are intended for Mars, but also can be adaptable to lunar and other solar system planetary bodies.
Between Transparency and Safety: Prior Restraints, FOIA and the Power of the Executive

At any given time the federal government has in its possession reams of nonconfidential and yet high inflammatory material. [Consider, for example, the photographs taken by soldiers serving at Abu Ghraib prison which depict the torture of primarily Muslim detainees. The pictures are not “secret”; the information depicted in them having already been discussed in the media. And yet release of the pictures would likely cause tangible harm to American interests.] This kind of information falls into a legislative void, neither protected by statute nor subject to production under FOIA. This article exams the problem with the government’s refusal to release nonconfidential but inflammatory material, concluding that the President has the inherent Constitutional authority to withhold public dissemination of such material.
Effect of linker and metal on photoreduction and cascade reactions of nitroaromatics by M-UiO-66 metal organic frameworks

Abstract The use of metal organic frameworks (MOFs) as photocatalysts is a promising and growing area of research. Given the diverse architectures, linkers, and metals, it is important to understand their effects on catalysis. Herein we compare six MOFs of the UiO-66 family towards photocatalytic reduction of nitro-aromatics to anilines. These MOFs differ in metal identity (Hf, Zr) and linker, and hence this systematic study provides insights to developing next generation MOFs. We found that Hf-based MOFs are superior to the more commonly studied Zr-analogues. Moreover, the linker identity also impact the photocatalysis, with pyridine-based linkers out-performing aniline based linkers and those that lack an embedded basic site. The MOFs studied have unique selectivities for the photoreduction and also allow for the one-pot synthesis of imines from aromatic aldehydes and nitro-aromatics.
Stronger Together: Cooperation and Collaboration

The chapter includes analysis of the cooperative practices connecting museums, art collectives, libraries, and other civic institutions by looking at three different modes of cooperation that link the Queens Museum and Corona: Immigrant Movement International, a hybrid art project and museum satellite location that has become a community art organization; Mobile Print Power, an intergenerational art collective that works with local residents; and a partnership between the Queens Museum and Queens Library that emphasizes working with new immigrants. Libraries providing community service are possible models for museums and other cultural organizations to emulate. The diversity of cultural heritage, age, class, and perspectives provided by cooperating groups enables creative programming and strengthens communication with local residents, which in turn supports the community.
The association between dietary diversity score and iron deficiency anemia among reproductive-aged women in Ghana

A dietary diversity score (DDS) is often used as a proxy for diet quality but little is known on its association with nutrients status, such as iron deficiency anemia in Ghana. This is needed to he...
Interaction of manganese with aluminosilicate support during high temperature (1100 °C) chemical looping combustion of the Fe-Mn-based oxygen carrier

Abstract Investigation of the redox reactivity of mixed-metal oxides in Chemical-Looping Combustion (CLC) can improve our understanding of the associated reaction mechanisms that are related to this technology. The Fe-Mn-based oxygen carrier supported on a spent fluid catalytic cracking catalyst (FCC) was characterized during CLC of CH4 by fixed bed reactor studies coupled with mass spectrometry, X-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopic analysis. Research was carried out to investigate Mn interaction with the FCC support during the high temperature (1100 °C) CLC and the potential impact on performance. The addition of Mn to Fe/FCC led to an increase in the oxygen transfer capacity at 900 °C and a decrease in oxygen transfer capacity at 1100 °C. Following 15 redox cycles, the average methane conversion was 85% at 900 °C and 68% at 1100 °C. The Fe-Mn/FCC carriers were selective for CO2 at 900 °C, and selective for CO at 1100 °C, which is consistent with the thermodynamic limitation of CO2 production at high-temperature. The Fe-Mn/FCC oxygen carrier’s crystal structure remained stable at 900 °C, whereas at 1100 °C, XRD and Raman spectroscopic analysis revealed formation of MnAl2O4 and Al2Mn3Si3O12 phases due to reduced Mn metal alloying with the aluminosilicate. The decrease in reactivity and oxygen transfer capacity at 1100 °C was attributed to the formation of new Fe-Mn phases and alloying with the aluminosilicate, sintering, and agglomeration at high-temperature. These results demonstrate the need to stabilize the Mn-active phase of oxygen carriers on aluminosilicate supports being used for the high-temperature CLC application.
Functionalized Polythiophene Copolymers for Electronic Biomedical Devices

We continue to investigate the design, synthesis, and characterization of electrically and ionically active conjugated polythiophene copolymers for integrating a variety of biomedical devices with living tissue. This paper will describe some of our most recent results, including the development of several new monomers that can tailor the surface chemistry, adhesion, and biointegration of these materials with neural cells. Our efforts have focused on copolymers of 3,4 ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT), functionalized variants of EDOT (including EDOT-acid and the trifunctional EPh), and dopamine (DOPA). The resulting PEDOT-based copolymers have electrical, optical, mechanical, and adhesive properties that can be precisely tailored by fine tuning the chemical composition and structure. Here we present results on EDOTdopamine bifunctional monomers and their corresponding polymers. We discuss the design and synthesis of an EDOT-cholesterol that combines the thiophene with a biological moiety known to exhibit surface-active behaviour. We will also introduce EDOT-aldehyde and EDOT-maleimide monomers and show how they can be used as the starting point for a wide variety of functionalized monomers and polymers.
Federated Wireless Network Intrusion Detection

Wi-Fi has become the wireless networking standard that allows short- to medium-range device to connect without wires. For the last 20 year, the Wi-Fi technology has so pervasive that most devices in use today are mobile and connect to the internet through Wi-Fi. Unlike wired network, a wireless network lacks a clear boundary, which leads to significant Wi-Fi network security concerns, especially because the current security measures are prone to several types of intrusion. To address this problem, machine learning and deep learning methods have been successfully developed to identify network attacks. However, collecting data to develop models is expensive and raises privacy concerns. The goal of this paper is to evaluate a federated learning approach that would alleviate such privacy concerns. This initial work on intrusion detection is performed in a simulated environment. Once proven feasible, this process would allow edge devices to collaboratively update global anomaly detection models, without sharing sensitive training data. On a set of tests with the AWID intrusion detection data set, we show that our federated approach is effective in terms of classification accuracy, computation cost, as well as communication cost.
Assessment of the MMRpredict model for prediction of DNA mismatch repair gene mutations (Lynch Syndrome)

4127 Background: The MMRpredict model, developed at the University of Edinburgh, is a web-based model developed to predict which patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer (CRC) under age 55 years h...
Online Data-Enabled Predictive Control

We develop an online data-enabled predictive (ODeePC) control method for optimal control of unknown systems, building on the recently proposed DeePC [1]. Our proposed ODeePC method leverages a primal-dual algorithm with real-time measurement feedback to iteratively compute the corresponding real-time optimal control policy as system conditions change. The proposed ODeePC conceptual-wise resembles standard adaptive system identification and model predictive control (MPC), but it provides a new alternative for the standard methods. ODeePC is enabled by computationally efficient methods that exploit the special structure of the Hankel matrices in the context of DeePC with Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) and primal-dual algorithm. We provide theoretical guarantees regarding the asymptotic behavior of ODeePC, and we demonstrate its performance through numerical examples.