cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
BURST FLUENCE DISTRIBUTIONS OF SOFT GAMMA REPEATERS 1806–20 AND 1900+14 IN THE ROSSI X-RAY TIMING EXPLORER PCA ERA

We study the fluence distributions of over 3040 bursts from SGR 1806–20 and over 1963 bursts from SGR 1900+14 using the complete set of observations available from the Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer/Proportional Counter Array through 2011 March. Cumulative event distributions are presented for both sources and are fitted with single and broken power laws as well as an exponential cutoff. The distributions are best fitted by a broken power law with exponential cutoff; however the statistical significance of the cutoff is not high and the upper portion of the broken power law can be explained as the expected number of false bursts due to random noise fluctuations. Event distributions are also examined in high and low burst rate regimes and power-law indices are found to be consistent, independent of the burst rate. The contribution function of the event fluence is calculated. This distribution shows that the energy released in the soft gamma repeater (SGR) bursts is dominated by the most powerful events for both sources. The power-law nature of these distributions combined with the dominant energy dissipation of the system occurring in the large, less frequent bursts is indicative of a self-organized critical system, as suggested by Gogus et al. in 1999.
Multiple Scattered Sight Lines to the Red QSO 2MASX J10494334+5837501

The reddened, highly polarized QSO 2MASX J1049334+5837501 (2M 1049+5837) shows a strong IR dust signature with a spectral energy distribution peaked at ~20 μm and a luminosity of ~1011 L☉, but the active nucleus is outshone at optical wavelengths by the host galaxy. Remarkable variations with wavelength in the degree and position angle of polarization require two primary sources of scattered flux from the active nucleus. These are: (1) a reddened component with P ≥ 8% that we identify with material near the axis of a presumed obscuring dust torus in the context of orientation-dependent unification schemes for active galactic nuclei (AGNs); and (2) a faint, very blue source that is only important at λ 4500 A. The latter component is only revealed because of its extremely high polarization (P = 20%-30%) and the fact that flux from the nucleus and the scattering lobes is nearly completely extinguished in this spectral region. High-resolution images show extensions approximately orthogonal to the two position angles of polarization. Consideration of these characteristics suggests refinements to the standard, first-order picture offered by the unified scheme for AGNs. Namely, that there can be multiple scattered sight lines within some AGNs, and that it is possible that the "polar scattering lobes" can provide sufficient scattering optical depth that the emergent nuclear spectrum is highly reddened. These deviations are useful in explaining the existence of highly polarized, red, type 1 AGNs that form a significant fraction of the QSOs found in near-IR surveys. Importantly, the utility of the type 1/type 2 spectral signature as an indicator of orientation becomes less effective as the dust covering factor increases and nuclear radiation is more effectively scattered into all sight lines.
Comparative Study of Energy Harvesting from High Temperature Piezoelectric Single Crystals

This experimental study reports the mechanical energy harvesting from piezoelectric single crystal materials with operating range higher than 500 °C and compares their performance with state-of-the-art soft Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (PZT) material. Yttrium calcium oxyborate YCa4O(BO3)3 (YCOB) and lanthanum gallium silicate La3Ga5SiO14 (LGS) crystals were found to exhibit stable piezoelectric and dielectric properties up to 1000 °C. Single and three-crystal stacks of YCOB, LGS, lithium niobate LiNbO3 (LN), and soft PZT were tested in longitudinal mode configuration (33-mode). The power density of soft PZT was found to be about three orders of magnitude higher than that of high temperature crystals at room temperature however its operating range was limited to 150 °C. On the other hand, YCOB and LGS crystals annealed at 600 °C exhibited similar magnitude of power as that at room temperature.
Selective adsorption of natural organic foulants by polysulfone colloids: Effect on ultrafiltration fouling

Abstract The problem of membrane fouling by natural organic matter (NOM) is commonly experienced in membrane filtration of natural waters for drinking water treatment. This study continues exploration of a novel pretreatment to reduce membrane fouling using a colloidal polysulfone (PSf) adsorbent that removes compounds that would normally adsorb on membranes [M.M. Clark, W.Y. Ahn, X. Li, N. Sternisha, R.L. Riley, Formation of polysulfone colloids for adsorption of natural organic foulants, Langmuir 21 (2005) 727–7213.]. Pretreatment of high-fouling lake water samples yields continued decrease in adsorptive fouling of 20-kDa molecular weight cut-off ultrafilters as the colloid concentration is increased incrementally from 5 to 100 mg/L; it is also shown that kinetics of adsorption of the critical NOM foulant by PSf colloids is quite fast in the water treatment context, occurring within minutes of contact with the water samples. Supporting previous work, measurements of dissolved organic carbon and apparent molecular weight distribution reveal that only a small fraction of the NOM is removed by PSf colloids, hence, only a small fraction of NOM causes fouling. High-pressure size-exclusion chromatography suggests that the foulant has an apparent molecular weight ranging from 20 to 200 kDa. In addition, study of the foulants adsorbed on the colloids using Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry and energy-dispersive spectroscopy indicates the presence of trace amounts of silicon, indicating a role of silicon in NOM adsorption.
Fundamental mode propagation on dielectric fibres of arbitrary cross-section

The behaviour of the propagation constants of the fundamental modes on dielectric fibres of arbitrary cross-section is studied by means of a variational formulation of an integral equation for the electric field. The approximate eigenvalue equation which results from the use of a constant trial field within the core is used to generate dispersion curves for several cross-sectional shapes, including rectangular, elliptical and triangular. Agreement with results computed by other methods, where available, is quite good in the single-mode regime.
Tandem MS Analysis of Selenamide-Derivatized Peptide Ions

Our previous study showed that selenamide reagents such as ebselen and N-(phenylseleno)phthalimide (NPSP) can be used for selective and rapid derivatization of protein/peptide thiols in high conversion yield. This paper reports the systematic investigation of MS/MS dissociation behaviors of selenamide-derivatized peptide ions upon collision induced dissociation (CID) and electron transfer dissociation (ETD). In the positive ion mode, derivatized peptide ions exhibit tag-dependent CID dissociation pathways. For instance, ebselen-derivatized peptide ions preferentially undergo Se–S bond cleavage upon CID to produce a characteristic fragment ion, the protonated ebselen (m/z 276), which allows selective identification of thiol peptides from protein digest as well as selective detection of thiol proteins from protein mixture using precursor ion scan (PIS). In contrast, NPSP-derivatized peptide ions retain their phenylselenenyl tags during CID, which is useful in sequencing peptides and locating cysteine residues. In the negative ion CID mode, both types of tags are preferentially lost via the Se–S cleavage, analogous to the S–S bond cleavage during CID of disulfide-containing peptide anions. In consideration of the convenience in preparing selenamide-derivatized peptides and the similarity of Se–S of the tag to the S–S bond, we also examined ETD of the derivatized peptide ions to probe the mechanism for electron-based ion dissociation. Interestingly, facile cleavage of Se–S bond occurs to the peptide ions carrying either protons or alkali metal ions, while backbone cleavage to form c/z ions is severely inhibited. These results are in agreement with the Utah-Washington mechanism proposed for depicting electron-based ion dissociation processes.
LaeA, a global regulator of Aspergillus toxins

Several toxins have been implicated in Aspergillus fumigatus pathogenicity. Among these are gliotoxin, fumagillin, fumagatin, and helvolic acid. Recently we have identified a nuclear protein, LaeA, that regulates the production of all of these metabolites. Several criteria support the role of LaeA as a potent A. fumigatus virulence factor. Among these are a decreased ability of the laeA deletion strain (ΔlaeA) to cause fatal infections in the murine model, increased macrophage phagocytosis of ΔlaeA conidia and decreased ability of ΔlaeA to kill polymorphonuclear neutrophils [1]. Here we present our current knowledge of LaeA function and future directions of study of LaeA mechanism.
Exposed synthetic vascular grafts of the groin: Graft preservation by means of a tensor fasciae latae flap

Presentation de 3 cas de rupture non purulente de la plaie inguinale lors de la periode postoperatoire precoce avec exposition de la prothese
Organization Size, Complexity, and Administrative Succession in Higher Education

(1968). Organization Size, Complexity, and Administrative Succession in Higher Education. The Sociological Quarterly: Vol. 9, No. 3, pp. 343-355.
Laminar Velocity Profiles in Adverse Pressure Gradients

ENGINEERING NOTES are short manuscripts describing neu) developments or important results of a preliminary nature. These Notes cannot exceed 6 manuscript pages and 3 figures; a page of text may be substituted for a figure and vice versa. After informal review by the editor*, they may be published within a few montha of t.ht dale of receipt. Style requirements are the same as for regular contributions (see inside back cover).
Comparison of oxidation rates of reduced pyridine nucleotides by normal and respiration deficient mutant yeast

Abstract Slonimski and Hirsch (1) have measured the activities of some enzymes of the glycolytic, tricarboxylic acid cycle and electron transport mechanisms in normally-respiring baker's yeast ( Saccharomyces , cerevisiae ) and in a respiration-deficient mutant yeast. Their findings indicated the mutant respiration-deficient yeast lacked cytochrome oxidase, succinic dehydrogenase cytochrome b complex and DPNH cytochrome c reductase. Only the cytochrome c component was present in normal concentrations in both yeasts. The present study was confined to examination of the DPNH and TPNH oxidation systems in both normally-respiring baker's yeast and the above mentioned mutant yeast in the presence and absence of antimycin A.
Evolutionary feedback mediated through population density, illustrated with viruses in chemostats.

Abstract: A cornerstone of evolutionary ecology is that population density affects adaptation: r and K selection is the obvious example. The reverse is also appreciated: adaptation impacts population density. Yet, empirically demonstrating a direct connection between population density and adaptation is challenging. Here, we address both evolution and ecology of population density in models of viral (bacteriophage) chemostats. Chemostats supply nutrients for host cell growth, and the hosts are prey for viral reproduction. Two different chemostat designs have profoundly different consequences for viral evolution. If host and virus are confined to the same chamber, as in a predator‐prey system, viral regulation of hosts feeds back to maintain low viral density (measured as infections per cell). Viral adaptation impacts host density but has a small effect on equilibrium viral density. More interesting are chemostats that supply the viral population with hosts from a virus‐free refuge. Here, a type of evoluti...
Generation of a time series having a specified power spectrum with minimum roundoff noise

The problem of determining a shaping filter which minimized the output roundoff-noise variance is discussed. It is shown that in the family of shaping filters of an identical McMillan degree having an identical power spectrum, the shaping filter of minimum phase attains a minimum output roundoff-noise variance in either the case of optimal word lengths or the case of equal word lengths. It is shown out by examples that this is not valid in the family of shaping filters having an identical power spectrum and different McMillan degrees. >
Coronal Loop Heating by Nanoflares: The Impact of the Field-aligned Distribution of the Heating on Loop Observations

Nanoflares occurring at subresolution strands with repetition times longer than the coronal cooling time are a promising candidate for coronal loop heating. To investigate the impact of the spatial distribution of the nanoflare heating on loop observables, we compute hydrodynamic simulations with several different spatial distributions (uniform, loop top, randomly localized, and footpoint). The outputs of the simulations are then used to calculate density and temperature diagnostics from synthetic TRACE and SXT observations. We find that the diagnostics depend only weakly on the spatial distribution of the heating and therefore are not especially useful for distinguishing among the different possibilities. Observations of the very high temperature plasmas that are present only in the earliest stages of nanoflares can shed more light on the field-aligned distribution of the heating.
General Block Structure-Preserving Reduced Order Modeling of Linear Dynamic Circuits

In this paper, we propose a generalized block structure-preserving reduced order interconnect macromodeling method (BSPRIM). Our approach extends structure-preserving model order reduction (MOR) method SPRIM (Freund, 2004) into more general block forms. We first show how SPRIM-like structure-preserving MOR method can be extended to deal with admittance RLC circuit matrices and show the 2q moments are still matched and symmetry is preserved. We then show that 2q moment matching can't be achieved when the RLC circuits are driven by both current and voltage sources. The new approach also improves SPRIM by introducing the re-orthonormalization process on the partitioned projection matrix. Then we present our BSPRIM method to deal with more circuit partitions and show the resulting general block structure preserving MOR for linear dynamic circuits formulated in impedance and admittance forms. The reduced models by the proposed BSPRIM will still match the 2q moments and preserve the circuit structure properties like symmetry as SPRIM does. Experimental results demonstrate effectiveness of the proposed methods and it outperforms SPRIM in terms of accuracy with more partitions
Adaptive Forward-Backward Greedy Algorithm for Sparse Learning with Linear Models

Consider linear prediction models where the target function is a sparse linear combination of a set of basis functions. We are interested in the problem of identifying those basis functions with non-zero coefficients and reconstructing the target function from noisy observations. Two heuristics that are widely used in practice are forward and backward greedy algorithms. First, we show that neither idea is adequate. Second, we propose a novel combination that is based on the forward greedy algorithm but takes backward steps adaptively whenever beneficial. We prove strong theoretical results showing that this procedure is effective in learning sparse representations. Experimental results support our theory.
Model for Reinforced Concrete Members under Torsion, Bending, and Shear. II: Model Application and Validation

A model was recently proposed for predicting the load-deformation response of a reinforced concrete member under torsion combined with bending and shear to spalling or ultimate. This paper shows the application of the model to create interaction surfaces to predict the failure of a member subjected to different ratios of applied torsion, bending, and shear. The model was validated by comparing the predicted and experimental behavior of 28 members from three experimental studies available in the literature. The members were loaded under torsion combined with different ratios of bending, and shear. The torque-twist behavior, reinforcement stress, and concrete surface strain predicted by the model were in close agreement with the experiments. This paper also describes how the model can be applied to create interaction surfaces. The interaction curves predicted by the model were validated by comparing the predicted and experimental capacities of 17 specimens available in the literature.
Transcriptional Response of Pasteurella multocida to Nutrient Limitation

Bacteria often encounter environments where nutrient availability is limited, and they must adapt accordingly. To identify Pasteurella multocida genes that are differentially expressed during nutrient limitation, we utilized whole-genome microarrays to compare levels of gene expression during growth in rich and minimal media. Our analysis showed that the levels of expression of a total of 669 genes, representing approximately one-third of the genome, were detectably altered over the course of the experiment. A large number (n = 439) of genes, including those involved in energy metabolism, transport, protein synthesis, and binding, were expressed at higher levels in rich medium, suggesting that, upon exposure to a rich environment, P. multocida immediately begins to turn on many energy-intensive biosynthetic pathways or, conversely, turns these genes off when it is exposed to a nutrient-deficient environment. Genes with increased expression in minimal medium (n = 230) included those encoding amino acid biosynthesis and transport systems, outer membrane proteins, and heat shock proteins. Importantly, our analysis also identified a large number (n = 164) of genes with unknown functions whose expression was altered during nutrient limitation. Overall, the results of our study show that a wide repertoire of genes, many of which have yet to be functionally classified, undergo transcriptional regulation in P. multocida in response to growth in minimal medium and provide a strong foundation to investigate the transcriptional response of this multispecies pathogen to growth in a nutrient-limited environment.
Nonlinear Semi-Analytic Methods for Trajectory Estimation

Nonlinear semi-analytic filtering methods to sequentially estimate spacecraft states and their associated uncertainties are presented. We first discuss the state transition tensors that characterize the localized nonlinear behavior of the trajectory statistics and illustrate the importance of higher-order effects on orbit uncertainty propagation. We then present a semi-analytic filtering method by implementing the state transition tensors to sequentially updatethe filter informationwith contributionsfromeachmeasurement, whichrequiresnointegration once the tensors are computed. A sun–Earth halo orbit about the L1 point is considered as an example with realistic orbit uncertainties, and the results are compared with the extended Kalman filter and unscented Kalman filter.
Isolation of galactose-inducible DNA sequences from Saccharomyces cerevisiae by differential plaque filter hybridization.

Abstract Multiple nitrocellulose DNA filter replicas of plaques of in vitro generated recombinants of phage lambda and Saccharomyces cerevisiae have been screened by hybridization with 32 P-labeled cDNA probes. These probes were representative of total poly(A)-containing RNA of yeast cells grown on acetate, galactose, glucose or maltose. This approach allows the use of specific differences in total RNA populations as probes for gene isolation. Five "galactose-induced" clones have been isolated. Expression of the RNA coding regions on at least two cloned sequences, Sc481 and Sc482, is regulated by genes known to control the expression of the structural genes required for the conversion of exogenous galactose to endogenous glucose-1-phosphate. One cloned sequence, Sc484, is expressed during growth on all carbon sources except glucose, and is not under control by the galactose regulatory genes. This clone contains a sequence that is repeated 3 times in the yeast genome. The cloned fragment Sc481 contains coding regions for all or part of three galactose-induced RNAs and may correspond to the GAL 1, GAL 7, GAL 10 gene cluster region of chromosome II.
Electron mobility enhancement in strained-Si n-MOSFETs fabricated on SiGe-on-insulator (SGOI) substrates

We demonstrate electron mobility enhancement in strained-Si n-MOSFETs fabricated on relaxed Si/sub 1-x/Ge/sub x/-on-insulator (SGOI) substrates with a high Ge content of 25%. The substrates were fabricated by wafer bonding and etch-back utilizing a 20% Ge layer as an etch stop. Epitaxial regrowth was used to produce the upper portion of the Si/sub 0.75/Ge/sub 0.26/ and the surface strained Si layer. Large-area strained-Si n-MOSFETs were fabricated on this SGOI substrate. The measured electron mobility shows significant enhancement over both the universal mobility and that of co-processed bulk-Si MOSFETs. This SGOI process has a low thermal budget and thus is compatible with a wide range of Ge contents in Si/sub 1-x/Ge/sub x/ layer.
Complex dynamical systems

Complex dynamical systems theory and system dynamics diverged at some point in the recent past, and should reunite. This is a concise introduction to the basic concepts of complex dynamical systems, in the context of the new mathematical theories of chaos and bifurcation.
Understanding How Adolescents with Autism Respond to Facial Expressions in Virtual Reality Environments

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are characterized by atypical patterns of behaviors and impairments in social communication. Among the fundamental social impairments in the ASD population are challenges in appropriately recognizing and responding to facial expressions. Traditional intervention approaches often require intensive support and well-trained therapists to address core deficits, with many with ASD having tremendous difficulty accessing such care due to lack of available trained therapists as well as intervention costs. As a result, emerging technology such as virtual reality (VR) has the potential to offer useful technology-enabled intervention systems. In this paper, an innovative VR-based facial emotional expression presentation system was developed that allows monitoring of eye gaze and physiological signals related to emotion identification to explore new efficient therapeutic paradigms. A usability study of this new system involving ten adolescents with ASD and ten typically developing adolescents as a control group was performed. The eye tracking and physiological data were analyzed to determine intragroup and intergroup variations of gaze and physiological patterns. Performance data, eye tracking indices and physiological features indicated that there were differences in the way adolescents with ASD process and recognize emotional faces compared to their typically developing peers. These results will be used in the future for an online adaptive VR-based multimodal social interaction system to improve emotion recognition abilities of individuals with ASD.
Identification of alcohol preference relevant genes in QTL on mouse chromosome 2

Results By using the keyword alcohol, we identified a total of 39 genetic elements in the region between markers D2Mit56 and D2Mit10. Among these genetic elements, we found seven with potential function in alcohol preference (Table 1). We then examined the SNPs, insertions and deletions, and gene expression levels of those seven genes. Conclusions Our current data suggest that the Atf2 and Titin genes are potentially the most alcohol relevant genes. However, further experiments and examination are still needed to confirm their candidacy. Several other candidate genes are also in the process of being identified.
On the shape-slope relation of drop size distributions in convective rain

Abstract The relation between the slope and shape parameters of the raindrop size distribution parameterized by a gamma distribution is examined. The comparison of results of a simple rain shaft model with an empirical relation based on disdrometer measurements at the surface shows very good agreement, but a more detailed discussion reveals some difficulties—for example, deviations from the gamma shape and the overestimation of collisional breakup.
Quasicontinuum Representations of Atomic-Scale Mechanics: From Proteins to Dislocations

Computation is one of the centerpieces of both the physical and biological sciences. A key thrust in computational science is the explicit mechanistic simulation of the spatiotemporal evolution of materials ranging from macromolecules to intermetallic alloys. However, our ability to simulate such systems is in the end always limited in both the spatial extent of the systems that are considered, as well as the duration of the time that can be simulated. As a result, a variety of efforts have been put forth that aim to finesse these challenges in both space and time through new techniques in which constraint is exploited to reduce the overall computational burden. The aim of this review is to describe in general terms some of the key ideas that have been set forth in both the materials and biological setting and to speculate on future developments along these lines. We begin by developing general ideas on the exploitation of constraint as a systematic tool for degree of freedom thinning. These ideas are then applied to case studies ranging from the plastic deformation of solids to the interactions of proteins and DNA.
Generation of multidimensional variable step size sequential adaptive gradient algorithms with identification and noise cancellation applications

The development of two-dimensional, gradient-based sequential algorithms with applications in 2-D system identification and noise cancellation is addressed. Existing gradient sequential algorithms use a convergence factor which is used to adjust the two-dimensional adaptive filter coefficients at each iteration. The performance of the algorithm depends entirely on the accuracy of the estimated convergence factor. The objective of the present work is to derive the optimality criterion governing the choice of the convergence factor in the case of 2-D gradient-based sequential algorithms. The 2-D variable step-size sequential algorithms meeting the above constraint are proposed and investigated: the 2-D individual adaptive (TDIA) and the 2-D homogeneous adaptive (TDHA) algorithms. The TDIA algorithm uses optimal convergence factors tailored for each 2-D adaptive filter coefficient at each iteration. The TDHA algorithm uses the same convergence factor for all coefficients but is optimally updated at each iteration. >
Fair bandwidth sharing and delay differentiation: Joint packet scheduling with buffer management

Packet delay and bandwidth are two important metrics for measuring quality of service (QoS) of Internet services. Traditionally, packet delay differentiation and fair bandwidth sharing are studied separately. In this paper, we first propose a generalized model for providing fair bandwidth sharing with delay differentiation, namely FBS-DD, at the same time. It essentially aims to provide multi-dimensional proportional differentiation with respect to both QoS metrics. We design size-based packet scheduling schemes that take both packet delay and packet size into scheduling considerations, without assuming admission control or policing. Furthermore, we propose a PID control-theoretic buffer management scheme. The packet scheduling with buffer management approach provides delay and bandwidth differentiation in an integrated way, while existing approaches consider delay and loss rate differentiation as orthogonal issues. It enhances the flexibility of network resource management and multi-dimensional QoS provisioning. It is capable of self-adapting to varying workloads from different classes, which automatically builds a firewall around aggressive clients and hence protects network resources from saturation. Extensive simulation results by the use of trace files demonstrate that the packet scheduling schemes can provide predictable fair bandwidth sharing with delay differentiation at various situations. The control-theoretic buffer management scheme further improves the controllability.
Endogenous Sampling in Duration Models

This paper considers the problem of endogenous sampling in the duration model. This is an important problem in the duration analysis of bank failures and loan defaults because it is common for the researchers in these areas to use only the default sample or non-default sample or both at a certain ratio, rather than using a random sample. The properties of endogenous sampling have been considered in various models, notably in qualitative response models, but not in duration models as far as I am aware. In this paper, I obtain the asymptotic distribution of the endogenous sampling maximum likelihood estimator and compare it with that of the random sampling maximum likelihood estimator and indicate when efficiency gain may result. I also show that the random sampling maximum likelihood estimator is inconsistent if the data are collected by endogenous sampling.
The multi-robot coverage problem for optimal coordinated search with an unknown number of robots

This work presents a novel multi-robot coverage scheme for an unknown number of robots; it focuses on optimizing the number of robots and each path cost. Coverage problems traditionally deal with how a given number of robots covers the entire environment. This work, however, presents solutions of not only (i) how to cover the area (locations of interest) within the minimum time, but simultaneously (ii) how to find the optimal number of robots for a given time. Also, we consider the worst but realistic case of all robots starting at the same location instead of assuming randomly initialized positions. The minimum coverage time depends upon the number of robots used. Our research specifies (iii) how to find the minimum coverage time without knowing the number of robots. Finally, we present a deterministic coverage algorithm based on finding the shortest paths in order to optimize the number of robots and corresponding paths.
Cost Allocation of Water Projects in California

Paper describes separable costs-remaining benefits method of allocating cost of multiple-purpose water projects and summarizes allocations made by Corps of Engineers for several reservoir projects in Central Valley of California.
Dynamic in vivo imaging of mammalian hematovascular development using whole embryo culture.

The yolk sac is the initial site of hematopoiesis in the mammalian embryo. As the embryo develops, blood vessels form around primitive erythroblasts to connect the yolk sac to the embryo, delivering newly formed blood cells to the embryonic circulation. The limited accessibility of the mammalian embryo has made it difficult to study the dynamic changes in cellular development during the formation of the early hematovascular system. Therefore, we have developed a culture system for studying early hematopiesis, vasculogenesis. and angiogenesis in the mouse embryo. Early embryos (E7.5–E9.5) can be grown on the microscope stage to study the dynamics as vessels form and circulation begins. In addition, this mouse embryo culture system provides an excellent model for understanding the interplay between flow dynamics and cellular development.
Towards a Generic Computer Simulation Platform for Distributed Robotic System Development and Experiments

The prohibitive high cost of owning and operating a large collection of advanced autonomous mobile robots for distributed robotic system (DRS) experiments stimulates the interest and necessity of developing a generic, real-time, 3-D graphics based computer simulation platform. The specification and design principles for such a system, with the concern on its generality, versatility, and concurrency are discussed. New concepts introduced in the paper include levels of users for the simulation platform, abstract sensors/actuators; the bandwidth of sensing/actuating devices, the bandwidth of a robot and that for a computer simulation platform. The methodology and implementation of integrating hard systems (robots and/or sensing/actuating devices) with a DRS simulation platform is discussed. A multi-processor, virtual reality based simulation platform developed by the Robotics Laboratory at UCR is presented along with example experiments.
Strength and fracture toughness of heterogeneous blocks with joint lognormal modulus and failure strain

Abstract We obtain analytical approximations to the probability distribution of the fracture strengths of notched one-dimensional rods and two-dimensional plates in which the stiffness (Young’s modulus) and strength (failure strain) of the material vary as jointly lognormal random fields. The fracture strength of the specimen is measured by the elongation, load, and toughness at two critical stages: when fracture initiates at the notch tip and, in the 2D case, when fracture propagates through the entire specimen. This is an extension of a previous study on the elastic and fracture properties of systems with random Young’s modulus and deterministic material strength ( Dimas et al., 2015a ). For 1D rods our approach is analytical and builds upon the ANOVA decomposition technique of ( Dimas et al., 2015b ). In 2D we use a semi-analytical model to derive the fracture initiation strengths and regressions fitted to simulation data for the effect of crack arrest during fracture propagation. Results are validated through Monte Carlo simulation. Randomness of the material strength affects in various ways the mean and median values of the initial strengths, their log-variances, and log-correlations. Under low spatial correlation, material strength variability can significantly increase the effect of crack arrest, causing ultimate failure to be a more predictable and less brittle failure mode than fracture initiation. These insights could be used to guide design of more fracture resistant composites, and add to the design features that enhance material performance.
Japan's Foreign Policy

Japan serves as an excellent case of the anomaly of the economic giant-political pygmy whose ability to influence international events is severely limited despite a manifest desire to play a larger role. Japan's attempts to achieve political standing commensurate with its economic clout internationally have enjoyed only minimal success.Historical factors, especially its defeat in World War II and the Occupation of Japan by the United States, continue to influence Japan's postwar foreign policy. So too does the so-called “peace clause” of the U.S.-imposed Constitution and the pacifist public consensus that has grown around it.Since the war Japan's defense alliance with the United States has had an enormous impact on foreign policy, both inhibiting and aiding Japan's relations with other states. Japanese dependence on American defense guarantees sometimes conflicts with Japan's attempts to strike a more independent foreign policy.
China's Closed-end Funds and the CAPM

Chooses some of the Shanghai' close-end funds as sample,selecting the monthly data between Dec. 2007 and May 2011,empirically analyses the applicability of CAPM on the fund market with single index model,BJS and cross-sectional model.The conclusion is that CAPM is not applicable to China's fund market. The reasons are the immature fund market and the irrational of the investors.Meanwhile,the qualifications of CAPM are so rigorous that we need to be cautious when doing the test on the capital market.
Reservoir Parameter Sensitivity Analysis with Experimental Design

Reservoir parameter sensitivity plays an important role in history matching,reservoir simulator and Essential Regression and Experimental Design software to test the accumulative oil production sensitivity to reservoir parameters are used,such as permeability,fault transmissibility and residual oil saturation,and got the nonlinear relationship equation,which can save computation time and accelerate the process of history matching in numerical simulations.This is meaningful for laboratories and industries in terms of experimental efficiency and economies.
Frozen Density Embedding with External Orthogonality in Delocalized Covalent Systems

Frozen density embedding (FDE) has become a popular subsystem density functional theory (DFT) method for systems with weakly overlapping charge densities. The failure of this method for strongly interacting and covalent systems is due to the approximate kinetic energy density functional (KEDF), although the need for approximate KEDFs may be eliminated if each subsystem’s Kohn–Sham (KS) orbitals are orthogonal to the other, termed external orthogonality (EO). We present an implementation of EO into the FDE framework within the Amsterdam density functional program package, using the level-shift projection operator method. We generalize this method to remove the need for orbital localization schemes and to include multiple subsystems, and we show that the exact KS-DFT energies and densities may be reproduced through iterative freeze-and-thaw cycles for a number of systems, including a charge delocalized benzene molecule starting from atomic subsystems. Finally, we examine the possibility of a truncated basis...
Effect of Mutation on an Aggregation-Prone Segment of p53: From Monomer to Dimer to Multimer

Protein aggregation and amyloid formation are implicated in many diseases as well as in other biological phenomena. Recent studies have suggested that amyloid formation of tumor suppressor p53 can lead to loss of its physiological function, resulting in accelerated cancer progression. Design of cancer therapeutics, therefore, requires understanding of the mechanism of p53 aggregation. Here, we have employed atomistic simulations to characterize the aggregation process of the aggregation-prone (as suggested by experimental studies) p53 fragment (LTIITLE, 252–258) and to assess the efficiency of its I254R mutant as an aggregation suppressor. We show that the wild-type sequence attains stable β-sheet rich structure in the parallely arranged dimeric form, which dissociates in a sequential manner under mechanical force. The wild-type sequence further displays high aggregation propensity self-assembling into structures with parallel peptide arrangement. The I254R mutation destabilizes the dimer, changes the mec...
Resolution of Pulsatile Tinnitus after Venous Sinus Stenting in Patients with Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension.

Objective Evaluate the role of venous sinus stenting in the treatment of pulsatile tinnitus among patients with Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (IIH) and significant venous sinus stenosis. Subjects and Methods A written informed consent approved by the Weill Cornell institutional review board was signed and obtained from the study participants. Thirty-seven consecutive patients with IIH and venous sinus stenosis who were treated with venous sinus stenting between Jan.2012-Jan.2016 were prospectively evaluated. Patients without pulsatile tinnitus were excluded. Tinnitus severity was categorized based on “Tinnitus Handicap Inventory” (THI) at pre-stent, day-0, 1-month, 3-month, 6-month, 12-month, 18-month and 2-year follow-up. Demographics, body-mass index (BMI), pre and post VSS trans-stenotic pressure gradient were documented. Statistical analysis performed using Pearson’s correlation, Chi-square analysis and Fischer’s exact test. Results 29 patients with a mean age of 29.5±8.5 years M:F = 1:28. Median (mean) THI pre and post stenting were: 4 (3.7) and 1 (1) respectively. Median time of tinnitus resolution post VSS was 0-days. There was significant improvement of THI (Δ Mean: 2.7 THI [95% CI: 2.3–3.1 THI], p<0.001) and transverse-distal sigmoid sinus gradient (Δ Mean: -15.3 mm Hg [95% CI: 12.7–18 mm Hg], p<0.001) post-stenting. Mean follow-up duration of 26.4±9.8 months (3–44 months). VSS was feasible in 100% patients with no procedural complications. Three-patients (10%) had recurrent sinus stenosis and tinnitus at mean follow-up of 12 months (6–30 months). Conclusion Venous sinus stenting is an effective treatment for pulsatile tinnitus in patients with IIH and venous sinus stenosis.
Potential Implications of Shortening Length of Stay Following Radical Cystectomy in a Pre-ERAS Population

Objective To investigate whether shortened inpatient length of stay (LOS) after radical cystectomy (RC) is associated with increased complication rates after hospital discharge. Materials and Methods The analytic cohort comprised 484 consecutive patients with 90-day follow-up who underwent RC at our institution from 2005 to 2012 and with LOS ≤9 days. Patients were categorized according to LOS as short (s-LOS; ≤5 days) or routine (r-LOS; 6-9 days). The primary outcome was major complications (Clavien-Dindo grades 3-5) occurring within 90 days after discharge. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to determine the association between LOS and post-discharge major complications. Hospital readmission was a secondary outcome. Results Patients in the s-LOS cohort had fewer comorbidities ( P P = .02), and more often underwent robotic RC ( P P = .04). There was also a statistically significant association between s-LOS and readmission (hazard ratio 1.60, 95% confidence interval 1.01-2.44, P = .048). Conclusion Early discharge post RC appears to be associated with an increased risk of major outpatient complications, suggesting that attempts to reduce LOS may need to be supplemented by additional outpatient services to diminish this effect. Further attention should be given to understanding how to better support patients discharged after a short LOS.
Electrophysiological Effects of Triggered Calcium Waves on the Action Potential in Left Atrial Myocytes from Normal and Failing Dog Heart

We previously reported that triggered Ca waves (TCWs) occur in dog atrial myocytes during rapid pacing. The goal of this study was to investigate the effect of TCWs on APs during rapid pacing in left atrial myocytes from both normal and failing hearts (rapid RV pacing model). Intracellular Ca and AP recordings were made in atrial myocytes isolated from normal and failing (HF) dog hearts loaded with Ca-sensitive fluorescent dyes and stimulated at increasingly rapid rates (1-5Hz). Both normal and HF atrial myocytes developed TCWs which increased action potential duration (APD) and reduced maximum diastolic potential (MDP) throughout the duration of each TCW. Depending on the timing of the TCW, both MDP and APD could be affected during a single or multiple cycles. TCWs developed at slower rates in HF than in normals so changes in AP and MDP also occurred at slower rates making TCWs of potentially greater importance to arrhythmogenesis in HF. A subset of TCWs failed to propagate along the cell length but were short enough to occur during only 1-2 APs. These events (triggered Ca flares, TCFs) produce the same overall electrophysiological effects as TCWs that propagate along the cell length. In summary, TCFs and TCWs cause APD prolongation and cell depolarization in normal and diseased atrial myocytes probably by inducing inward Na+-Ca2+ exchange current in response to these Ca release events. This depolarization and slowing of repolarization is likely to establish repolarization gradients and cause reentry thus promoting atrial arrhythmogenesis such as atrial fibrillation.
Value for Money and Risk Relationships in Public–Private Partnerships: Evaluating Program‐based Evidence

Value for money – VfM (the provision of improved public infrastructure and services at lower cost) – is a central rationale for the deployment of public–private partnerships (P3s). However, it remains unclear how VfM is actually created in P3s. There are several issues that surround the ex ante evaluation conducted during P3 assessment, including: transparency of the process, engagement of stakeholders, potential restrictions on current and future public sector flexibility, and political influences that call into question the legitimacy of the process. This study examines these issues using Alberta's P3 projects executed since 2003, and interviews 35 key participants and stakeholders. The findings suggest that while the transfer of risk from the public to the private sector is a key driver of VfM, it may overstate the extent to which planning related risks can be transferred. This paper recommends enhanced VfM component disclosures and transparency as the evaluation process evolves. Furthermore, a more rigorous approach to risk conceptualisation and valuation should be adopted. Risk allocation should be about managing not only occurrence, but also impact of the risk factor. Finally, political interference must be moderated to allow for the optimal realisation of the best possible choices presented by P3 deployments.
Adipic Acid Production via Metal-Free Selective Hydrogenolysis of Biomass-Derived Tetrahydrofuran-2,5-Dicarboxylic Acid

Biomass-derived furans offer sustainable routes to adipic acid (AA), a key chemical in Nylon-6,6 synthesis. In this work, we show that tetrahydrofuran-2,5-dicarboxylic acid (THFDCA) is a viable precursor for AA production, achieving up to 89% yield in a metal-free system containing HI and molecular H2 in a propionic acid solvent at 160 °C. Reactivity studies demonstrate that the interplay between HI, H2, and the solvent is essential for effective THFDCA ring opening. By measuring the reaction orders of HI and molecular H2 and calculating an acid–base equilibrium constant in a nonaqueous solvent, we show that HI plays a multifaceted role in the reaction by acting both as a proton source and an iodide source to selectively cleave C–O bonds without overhydrogenation of carboxylic acid groups. Using reactivity studies, kinetic measurements, and first-principles computational insights, we demonstrate that metal-free activation of molecular H2 plays a key role in the reaction, following HI-mediated cleavage of ...
Axial load transmission through the elbow during forearm rotation.

Background Forearm rotation is closely associated with the axiorotational force transmission through the elbow joint. A technique has been developed to study the transmission of force across the radiocapitellar and ulnotrochlear joints during forearm rotation. Methods Ten human cadaveric upper limbs were prepared on a custom-designed apparatus that permits the application of extrinsic axial loads across an intact cadaveric elbow joint. A force-sensitive transducer was inserted into the elbow joint of each cadaver. A 160 N axial force was applied to the specimen during cyclic forearm rotation while the force, contact pressure, and contact area through the elbow joint were measured. Results The mean force across the radiocapitellar joint showed no significant difference between pronation and supination (P = .3547). The radiocapitellar joint showed significantly higher contact area (P = .0001) and lower contact pressure (P = .0001) in pronation than in supination. The mean values for contact pressure, area, and force across the ulnotrochlear joint were not significantly different between supination and pronation. Conclusion The contact pressure and contact area of the radiocapitellar joint in the cadaveric model changed according to forearm rotation while the force remained constant. The mean contact pressure of the radiocapitellar joint in pronation was significantly lower than that in supination because the force across it did not change significantly and its contact area decreased significantly. These findings may suggest that the pronated elbow can play an important role in protecting the radiocapitellar joint in high-impact activities like delivering punch in martial arts or falling on an outstretched arm.