cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A dynamic model for the solar transition region

A model is developed for the lower transition region that can account for the persistent and ubiquitous redshifts that are observed in the UV emission lines formed at these temperatures. It is shown that these shifts are not likely to be due either to falling spicular material or to steady-state siphon flows. The model consists of two key ingredients. The redshifted radiation originates from a minority of flux tubes which have higher gas pressures than their surroundings, and consequently have their transition regions situated below the transition regions of their surroundings. The coronal heating in these loops is impulsive in nature, and this is responsible for the transient mass flows. The studies, therefore, favor theories for coronal heating which involve flare-like magnetic-energy release. Previously announced in STAR as N83-29163
Localization of optics: Quasiperiodic media.

An experiment to probe the (quasi)localization of the photon is proposed, in which optical layers are constructed following the Fibonacci sequence. The transmission coefficient has a rich structure as a function of the wavelength of light and, in fact, is multifractal. For particular wavelengths for which the resonance condition is satisfied, the light propagation has scaling with respect to the number of layers, as well as an interesting fluctuation.
Feature extraction from a noisy background for use in neural network identifications

Abstract The curves and lines in an edged-detected binary image can be analyzed using the adaptive-window detection technique. This window at first moves from the top-left corner of the image frame, and then scans horizontally and downward until it hits the starting point S of a continuous line or curve. Then it will automatically track the direction of the curve until it hits an end point E or a branch point B. The coordinates of the starting point S, the end point E or the branch point B will be automatically recorded in a data file, and so are the coordinates of all continuous points between S, E or S, B. For the branch point, the adaptive window will detect how many branches are connected to point B, and it will track automatically each branch until another end point or another branch point is hit. The coordinates of all continuous points between any pair of (cusp) points S, B; S, E; B, B; or B, E, will be automatically recorded in a different data file. Each data file then represents a single curve between 2 cusp points. These data file can then be used to find the analytical expression for each curve. We use polynomial, least square curve fitting techniques to get a very compact set of analytical data for representing or reconstructing the original binary image. This paper reports the image-processing steps, the programming algorithm, and the experimental results on this novel feature extraction technique. It will be verified in each experiment by the reconstruction of the original image from the compactly extracted analog data lines. These data lines can then be used very efficiently for inputting to a neural network for an accurate and yet robust pattern recognition job.
Joining of partially sintered alumina to alumina, titanium, Hastealloy and C–SiC composite using Ag–Cu brazes

Abstract The joining behavior of polycrystalline alumina sintered at different temperatures (1473–1773 K) and times (0.5–4 h) to itself and to Ti, Hastealloy and a CVI C–SiC composite using two Ag–Cu active metal brazes (Cusil–ABA and Ticusil) containing Ti has been evaluated. Partial densification and the resulting high porosity content of Al2O3 substrates sintered at low temperatures led to braze infiltration of Al2O3 pores in 20 min contact but no penetration occurred in dense Al2O3 substrates sintered at high temperatures. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) examination of the joints showed that chemical reactions between Al2O3 and braze constituents formed a Ti-rich reaction layer at braze/Al2O3 interface regardless of the sintering conditions and degree of densification of the Al2O3. Some redistribution of the substrate and braze constituents across the joint interfaces was observed due to dissolution and interdiffusion. The Knoop microhardness of sintered alumina was consistent with the degree of Al2O3 densification achieved, and microhardness profiles across the joint regions displayed a minimum (∼70–160 KHN) in the braze region and a maximum (1900–2012 KHN) in the alumina region. The polished CVI C–SiC composites led to better quality Al2O3/C–SiC composite joints and greater segregation of Ti at the composite/braze interface than unpolished composite specimens.
radC102 of Escherichia coli is an allele of recG.

The radC102 mutation causes a mild UV and X-ray sensitivity and was mapped by transduction previously to the pyrE recG region at 82 min on the Escherichia coli chromosome (11). Further work identified a novel open reading frame (ORF), designated radC, as the site of the radC102 mutation (9, 10). We present here several lines of evidence that radC102 is an allele of recG. The recG gene was identified originally by mutations that cause mild UV sensitivity and slight defects in transductional and conjugational recombination (20, 22, 35). recG encodes a helicase capable of binding and unwinding strand exchange recombination intermediates (such as Holliday junctions) in vitro (39, 40) and probably carries out branch migration of recombination substrates in vivo (reviewed in reference 21). The importance of the RecG protein in recombination became clear with the discovery that cells lacking both RecG and RuvA, -B, or -C are extremely UV sensitive and recombination defective (18). Because the absence of either RecG or RuvABC has only slight effects on transductional and conjugational recombination (in the RecBCD pathway of recombination [21]), they were thought to play functionally redundant roles in recombination of linear substrates. However, they do not play identical roles, because their substrate specificities and directions of branch migration differ in vitro (1, 38, 39) and their effects on stationary-phase mutation (13, 17) and on recombination in some assays (19, 20, 25; M. Motamedi and S. M. Rosenberg, unpublished results) differ in vivo. We began this work to ask whether radC102 might affect lac frameshift mutation in stationary-phase E. coli cells, a mutational process dependent upon the recombination proteins RecA, RecBC, and RuvABC (13, 16, 17). In this stationary-phase (or adaptive) Lac+ mutation process, recombination intermediates are proposed to promote DNA replication and mutation (16, 23, 30). In the course of these experiments we found that the phenotypes of radC102 strains mimicked those of recG mutations in two assays, stationary-phase mutation and UV sensitivity. Subsequently, sequencing revealed that radC102 strains carry a mutation in the recG gene and that the radC gene is wild type in radC102 strains. We conclude that radC102 is an allele of recG. The function of the E. coli radC gene (and its many bacterial homologs) remains to be determined.
Effect of carbon source during enrichment on BTEX degradation by anaerobic mixed bacterial cultures

A comprehensive study on the effects of different carbon sources during the bacterial enrichment on the removal performances of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX) compounds when present as a mixture was conducted. Batch BTEX removal kinetic experiments were performed using cultures enriched with individual BTEX compounds or BTEX as a mixture or benzoate alone or benzoate–BTEX mixture. An integrated Monod-type non-linear model was developed and a ratio between maximum growth rate (μmax) and half saturation constant (Ks) was used to fit the non-linear model. A higher μmax/Ks indicates a higher affinity to degrade BTEX compounds. Complete removal of BTEX mixture was observed by all the enriched cultures; however, the removal rates for individual compounds varied. Degradation rate and the type of removal kinetics were found to be dependent on the type of carbon source during the enrichment. Cultures enriched on toluene and those enriched on BTEX mixture were found to have the greatest μmax/Ks and cultures enriched on benzoate had the least μmax/Ks. Removal performances of the cultures enriched on all different carbon sources, including the ones enriched on benzoate or benzoate–BTEX mixture were also improved during a second exposure to BTEX. A molecular analysis showed that after each exposure to the BTEX mixture, the cultures enriched on benzoate and those enriched on benzoate–BTEX mixture had increased similarities to the culture enriched on BTEX mixture.
Determinants of nicotine self-administration

Experiments utilizing the self-administration procedure have yielded varied rates of responding when using nicotine as the reinforcer. A number of factors are reviewed that appear to determine behavioral performance in self-administration procedures. Species differences ranging from rats to human, genotypic differences, schedules of reinforcement, food deprivation, routes of administration, rates of nicotine infusion, and previous drug history are all critical determinants of nicotine self-administration. Further characterization of these factors will be necessary in order to establish a threshold dose of nicotine as a means of regulating nicotine addiction.
Is there a Slowdown in Agricultural Productivity Growth in South America

This article estimates agricultural productivity growth in 10 South American countries in 1969–2009 with the objective of investigating if the slowdown being measured in other countries is present in the region. Results show that productivity growth accounts for half of the three-fold increase in agricultural output during this period and that performance is sensitive to R&D investments in the sector. The slowdown found for the 1990s to 2000s in the U.S. and some European economies does not seem to be present yet in South America. The region's total factor productivity (TFP) growth rate increased steadily from 1.07% during the 1970s to 2.29% during the 2000s. Given lags in adoption and the adaptive nature of innovations in these economies, we have yet to see the potential effects in South American agriculture of decreases in R&D in advanced economies.
Esophageal cancer: Results of therapy in an indigent population

The Tumor Clinic charts of 118 patients with esophageal carcinoma were reviewed. Of these patients 101 had squamous cell carcinoma. All were from an indigent patient population, and had a high rate of alcoholism, heavy smoking, and malnutrition. Most of the patients presented with dysphagia or pain. However, on review, significant weight loss antedated these symptoms by many months. Earlier diagnosis might be achieved in many instances by a careful esophageal workup in those patients with unexplained weight loss. The duration of dysphagia does not correlate with length of survival after therapy. The data indicates that esophagectomy offers the best chance for cure, and longer significant palliation. The significant morbidity and mortality of this procedure in the malnourished patient can be minimized only by careful attention to operative technique. An experienced senior surgeon should attend this procedure when it is performed by resident surgeons in a teaching situation. Radiotherapy should be reserved for use as an adjuvant to surgery preoperatively, or for patients whose associated disease precludes surgical resection.
Gross and Microscopic Lesions in Porcine Fetuses Infected with Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus

Diagnosis of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV)-induced reproductive failure in swine is difficult because of the rapid inactivation of virus in fetuses that have died prior to abortion or farrowing. In this report, we describe gross and microscopic lesions of diagnostic value found in fetuses transplacentally infected with PRRSV during late gestation. Seven sows free of PRRSV-specific antibody and 1 sow (#8) that had been previously infected with PRRSV were oronasally exposed to a PRRSV inoculum at or about 90 days of gestation (DG). One control sow (#9) was oronasally exposed to a sham inoculum at 90 DG. Sows were euthanized 21 days postexposure, and fetuses were tested for virus. Transplacental infection was detected in litters 1-7, and gross lesions of the umbilical cord were observed in some fetuses in 6 of the 7 litters. No transplacental infection or fetal lesions were found in litters 8 and 9. The gross lesions in the umbilical cords ranged from segmental hemorrhagic areas 1-2 cm in length to a full length involvement of the cord, which was grossly distended with frank hemorrhage. All live fetuses that had gross lesions in the umbilical cord were viremic, and histopathologic examination revealed a necrotizing umbilical arteritis with periarterial hemorrhage. This was the most consistent microscopic lesion in fetuses infected with PRRSV. Sows 1-7 had endometritis and myometritis of various degrees, suggesting PRRSV also may induce these lesions. Careful gross and microscopic examination of the umbilical cord may aid in the diagnosis of PRRSV-induced reproductive failure.
Can prefigurative politics prevail?The implications for movement strategy in John Holloway's Crack Capitalism

The desire to overcome the alienated labor of capitalism manifests itself in the daily actions of people everywhere. John Holloway argues that social movements must build upon this liberatory impulse, challenging not only the rate of exploitation but also workers’ loss of control over the process of production and allocation (and, by implication, the loss of control in other arenas of life). Revolutionary change, in turn, will result from these movements creating thousands of ‘cracks’ in the capitalist system by asserting alternative ways of living. Holloway’s argument for prefigurative movements is ambiguous on several points, however: the role of political organizations, the role of alternative institutions, and the appropriate approach of social movements to the state. We propose some friendly amendments, placing greater emphasis on the need for strong political organizations and counter-institutions, but also for selective engagement with dominant institutions. A revolutionary strategy must combine the construction of prefigurative counterinstitutions with struggles for reform of existing structures. Yet the dangers of oligarchization and hierarchy within movements are very real, and thus there is a need for structures that are ruthlessly democratic and ideologies that are explicitly intersectional in their approach to fighting different forms of oppression.
Creating a Computer Industry Giant: China's Industrial Policies and Outcomes in the 1990s

Since 1978, China has been transforming its socialist economy into a mixed market system. At the same time, it has revised its nationalist technology strategy of emphasizing autonomous development to a more pragmatic approach of requiring foreign companies to transfer technology in return for market access, directing domestic R&D toward commercial purposes, and supporting local companies in high-technology markets. This change is evident in China's policies toward the computer industry. Since the mid-1980s, the government has focused on promoting production of PCs, peripherals, and software, by allowing foreign firms into the market but also promoting domestic PC makers. In addition, China has made large investments in a series of projects aimed at creating information infrastructure and stimulating computer use. This article examines the development of China’s computer industry, which is mainly focused around the personal computer (PC). It shows how China’s shift from technological nationalism to pragmatism has enabled it to develop a domestic PC industry which dominates the local market. It also shows the limits to China as a market for foreign companies as the share of domestic firms continues to rise. Finally, it shows how Taiwanese companies have relocated to China in order to maintain their role as low cost contract manufacturers for multinational computer makers, and also have become contract manufacturers to China’s PC companies. China PC paper for web-june-01.doc 3 CREATING A COMPUTER INDUSTRY GIANT: CHINA’S INDUSTRIAL POLICIES AND OUTCOMES IN THE 1990s
The global burden of diarrhoeal disease, as estimated from studies published between 1992 and 2000

Current estimates of the global burden of disease for diarrhoea are reported and compared with previous estimates made using data collected in 1954-79 and 1980-89. A structured literature review was used to identify studies that characterized morbidity rates by prospective surveillance of stable populations and studies that characterized mortality attributable to diarrhoea through active surveillance. For children under 5 years of age in developing areas and countries, there was a median of 3.2 episodes of diarrhoea per child-year. This indicated little change from previously described incidences. Estimates of mortality revealed that 4.9 children per 1000 per year in these areas and countries died as a result of diarrhoeal illness in the first 5 years of life, a decline from the previous estimates of 13.6 and 5.6 per 1000 per year. The decrease was most pronounced in children aged under 1 year. Despite improving trends in mortality rates, diarrhoea accounted for a median of 21% of all deaths of children aged under 5 years in these areas and countries, being responsible for 2.5 million deaths per year. There has not been a concurrent decrease in morbidity rates attributable to diarrhoea. As population growth is focused in the poorest areas, the total morbidity component of the disease burden is greater than previously.
Measuring terrestrial subsidies to aquatic food webs using stable isotopes of hydrogen.

Understanding river food webs requires distinguishing energy derived from primary production in the river itself (autochthonous) from that produced externally (allochthonous), yet there are no universally applicable and reliable techniques for doing so. We compared the natural abundance stable isotope ratios of hydrogen (dD) of allochthonous and autochthonous energy sources in four different aquatic ecosystems. We found that autochthonous organic matter is uniformly far more depleted in deuterium (lower dD values) than allochthonous: an average difference of ;100o. We also found that organisms at higher trophic levels, including both aquatic invertebrates and fish, have dD values intermediate between aquatic algae and terrestrial plants. The consistent differences between leaves and algae in dD among these four watersheds, along with the intermediate values in higher trophic levels, indicate that natural abundance hydrogen isotope signatures are a powerful tool for partitioning energy flow in aquatic ecosystems.
You are what you eat

Debate over the smallest eye requires a definition of what makes an eye. The answer to this question, generally given by those considered authorities, is that an eye is an organ that receives and recognises light and has the ability to define spatial detail. Specifically, an eye can compare the amount of light coming from different directions. This definition means that an unusual collection of photoreceptors that may perceive light, but cannot tell direction or form of an image, such as those found in the tail of some of the sea snakes, would not be considered an eye. By most definitions then, the planktonic dinoflagellate, Erythropsidium , must have among the smallest of eyes, since the creature is only 50–70 μm in diameter. Next to nothing is known about its genetics or visual mechanisms; nevertheless, we do know that this remarkable eukaryote speaks volumes about evolution’s creativity and emphasis on vision, although the term “vision” goes beyond an eye and must include some degree of interpretation of the image. It is doubtful that this organism interprets any image. Dinoflagellates are protists, or single celled nucleated …
A protocol for seamless communication in a picocellular network

Present an architecture for a picocellular network and presents a novel communication protocol for mobile users in such networks. The cell size in these networks is very small-typically of the order of a room in a building, resulting in an environment where the movement between cells is very rapid. This makes the problem of maintaining communication between a pair of mobile users non-trivial. The present communication protocol uses groups to maintain communication between two mobile users. Groups are special collections of picocells and represent regions where a mobile user is likely to be located in the near future. Thus, messages addressed to this mobile user are multicast to all the picocells in the group guaranteeing delivery and obviating the need for messages to be forwarded between picocells. The mobile users will therefore see lower delays in message delivery times. >
Social identity, material culture, and the archaeology of religion: Quaker practices in context

This article considers how social identity groups come to be associated with certain material signs or traits. It is argued that this is a complex and continuing process, but not one which is untraceable or random, and so we can still use these signs to aid our understanding of social identity. Using the archaeological study of religious identity seen through Quakerism as a starting point, this article considers the nature of social identity and how it can be accessed archaeologically. Past Quaker archaeology is briefly outlined, and the apparently contradictory conclusions in this body of work are contextualized. While historians and Quakers themselves felt there to be a strong community, archaeologists have observed disparate material practices. A consideration of the social context of Quakerism and its ‘rules’ will help clarify these contradictions and also suggest a clearer understanding of how the material culture of a social group can allow us access to ephemeral social identities. Even through a ch...
Antepartum bed rest: maternal weight change and infant birth weight.

Despite lack of evidence for effectiveness, obstetri cians in the United States prescribe antepartum bed rest for more than 700,000 women per year. However, in nonpregnant samples, bed rest treatment produces weight loss. This study assessed maternal weight change (gain) during antepartum hospitalization for bed rest treatment; compared appropriateness of infant birth weights for gestational age, race, and gender; and determined whether maternal weight change predicted infant birth weight. The convenience sample for this longitudinal study consisted of 141 women with high-risk pregnancies who were treated with hospital bed rest. Weekly rate of pregnancy weight change by body mass index was compared with Institute of Medicine recommendations for rate of pregnancy weight gain. Infant birth weight was compared with current US infant birth weights for matching gestational age, gender, and race. Weekly antepartum weight change was significantly lower than Institute of Medicine rec ommendations (P < 0.001). Infant birth weights were also significantly lower than the national mean when matched for each infant’s gestational age, race, and gender (P < 0.001). Maternal weight change predicted infant birth weight (P = 0.05). Bed rest treatment is ineffective for improving pregnancy weight gain. Lower infant birth weights across all gestational ages suggest that maternal weight loss during bed rest may be associated with an increased risk of fetal growth restriction. A randomized trial comparing women with high-risk pregnancies who are ambulatory with those on bed rest is needed to determine whether bed rest treatment, underlying maternal-fetal disease, or both influence inadequate maternal weight gain and poor intrauterine growth.
Radical Simplification: Disaster Relief Medicaid In New York City

In the four months following the 11 September 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center, nearly 350,000 people signed up for Disaster Relief Medicaid. The process was quick and simple; applicants completed a one-page form and got a decision on the spot or the next day. While the program’s success stemmed in part from the unique circumstances facing New Yorkers in the fall of 2001, Disaster Relief Medicaid was an experiment in radical simplification that demonstrated a new way of thinking about how to design a simple, effective public health insurance program stripped of the vestiges of welfare.
Maternal Distress Explains the Relationship of Young African American Mothers’ Violence Exposure With Their Preschoolers’ Behavior

Adolescent mothers and their children are particularly susceptible to witnessing or directly experiencing violence. Such violence exposure predicts maternal distress, parenting, and child behavior problems. The current study examined how mothers’ depressive symptoms, aggression, harsh disciplinary practices, and home environment independently explain the association between mothers’ violence exposure and children’s externalizing and internalizing behavior, controlling for their children’s violence exposure. Data were collected from 230 African American mothers living in Washington, DC who gave birth as adolescents and whose children were 3 to 5 years old. Path analysis revealed that the effect of mothers’ experienced violence on children’s externalizing and internalizing behavior was mediated by mothers’ depressive symptoms and aggression. However, neither harsh discipline nor stimulation in the home environment acted as significant mediators, and there were no direct or indirect effects of mothers’ witnessed violence on child behavior. This study builds on previous work by identifying an association between maternal violence exposure and children’s behavior, independent of children’s own violence exposure that is explained by mothers’ increased distress but not their parenting. These findings suggest that a potential means of preventing behavior problems in minority children born to adolescent mothers is to identify mothers who have been directly exposed to violence and treat their depressive symptoms and aggressive behaviors.
Microphotometric, ultrastructural, and electrophysiological analyses of light-dependent processes on visual receptors in white-eyed wild-type and norpA (no receptor potential) mutant Drosophila.

We examined a white-eyed strain of the norpA mutant (norpA;cn bw) and white (w)norpA+ controls using microspectrophotometry (MSP), electron microscopy (EM), and electroretinography (ERG). These studies revealed that light mediates receptor demise in norpA even though norpA lacks phototransduction. Rhodopsin and the rhabdomere which houses it decrease with increasing age in norpA but not in w with rearing on a 12 h light/12-h dark cycle or in constant light. At higher temperature in norpA;cn bw and w reared in constant light, visual pigment decreases, rhabdomeres diminish, and cells die. Importantly, dark rearing blocked visual pigment loss in norpA;cn bw; the M-potential, an ERG reflection of visual pigment level, corroborated this finding. MSP showed that norpA's visual pigment loss was not due to acute loss of metarhodopsin, rhodopsin's photoproduct. NorpA blocks certain processes expected to be light elicited. The alteration of visual pigment as a function of time of day, present in w controls, is absent in white-eyed norpA, suggesting that light-induced depolarization may be necessary to entrain the rhythm. Microspectrofluorometry using the fluorescent dye, Lucifer yellow, suggested that norpA lacks a light-induced uptake mechanism; using control flies, we determined the stimulus parameters required for uptake in vivo. An attempt to “cure” norpA;cn bw by replacement “therapy” using phospholipase C, missing in norpA's phototransduction cascade, was largely unsuccessful.
Isolating and Culturing of Precursor Cells from the Adult Human Brain

Adult neural precursor cells are an essential part of the brain, and a focus of two decades of intense research (Ming and Song, Neuron 70:687-702, 2011). Even though adult human stem/progenitor cells have been identified early on (Kirschenbaum et al., Cereb Cortex 4:576-589, 1994; Eriksson et al., Nat Med 4:1313-1317, 1998), progress in the field of adult human neurogenesis has been slow. The reasons for this may be more advanced neighboring fields of pluripotent stem cell research, and lacking study material as well as well-established and standardized protocols. Furthermore, adult precursor cells in humans seem to have greater potential than in rodents (Walton et al., Development 133:3671-3681, 2006). This may be attributed to species differences in astrocyte development and diversity (Oberheim et al., Neurosci 29:3276-3287, 2009).In this chapter, we provide a guideline for adult human brain tissue dissociation, be it from biopsy or autopsy specimens. This is by no means the only way of culturing adult neural precursor cells, but it may help in streamlining research on this fascinating topic, as well as help introducing others into this field. We describe our methodology for establishing and maintaining long-term cultures from white and grey matter, as well as a simple protocol for differentiating these cells.
Electrode-Reducing Microorganisms That Harvest Energy from Marine Sediments

Energy in the form of electricity can be harvested from marine sediments by placing a graphite electrode (the anode) in the anoxic zone and connecting it to a graphite cathode in the overlying aerobic water. We report a specific enrichment of microorganisms of the family Geobacteraceae on energy-harvesting anodes, and we show that these microorganisms can conserve energy to support their growth by oxidizing organic compounds with an electrode serving as the sole electron acceptor. This finding not only provides a method for extracting energy from organic matter, but also suggests a strategy for promoting the bioremediation of organic contaminants in subsurface environments.
Reconstruction of Two-Dimensional Permittivity Distribution With Distorted Rytov Iterative Method

The distorted Rytov iterative method (DRIM) is proposed for the reconstruction of the unknown dielectric objects embedded in two-dimensional (2-D) homogeneous space. The DRIM is based on the distorted-wave Rytov approximation and is solved iteratively by incrementally correcting the estimated contrast function in each iteration step. The background medium Green's function is calculated numerically and is updated in each iteration step. Experimental and numerical results are presented to validate the proposed method for 2-D permittivity distribution reconstruction for both lossless and lossy cases.
Design Techniques to Reduce SET Pulse Widths in Deep-Submicron Combinational Logic

Analysis of 90 nm CMOS SET response quantifies the interaction between charge collection and charge redistribution in a matched-current-drive inverter chain. It is shown that the SET pulse width difference between an n-hit and p-hit is due to parasitic bipolar amplification on the PMOS device. This difference is exploited to optimize transistor sizing and n-well contact layout for SET RHBD in combinational logic.
A self-calibrating approach to whole-home contactless power consumption sensing

In this paper, we present a significant improvement over past work on non-contact end-user deployable sensor for real time whole home power consumption. The technique allows users to place a single device consisting of magnetic pickups on the outside of a power or breaker panel to infer whole home power consumption without the need for professional installation of current transformers (CTs). The new approach does not require precise placement on the breaker panel, a key requirement in previous approaches. This is enabled through a self-calibration technique using a neural network that dynamically learns the transfer function despite the placement of the sensor and the construction of the breaker panel itself. We also demonstrate the ability to actually infer true power using this technique, unlike past solutions that have only been able to capture apparent power. We have evaluated our technique in six homes and one industrial building, including one seven-day deployment. Our results show we can estimate true power consumption with an average accuracy of 95.0% during naturalistic energy use in the home.
Airborne test of laser pump-and-probe technique for assessment of phytoplankton photochemical characteristics.

Initial results of the airborne LIDAR measurement of photochemical quantum yield, ΦPo, and functional absorption cross-section, σPS II, of Photosystem II (PS II) are reported. NASA's AOL3 LIDAR was modified to implement short-pulse pump-and-probe (SP-P&P) LIDAR measurement protocol. The prototype system is capable of measuring a pump-induced increase in probe-stimulated chlorophyll fluorescence, ΔF/Fsat, along with the acquisition of `conventional' LIDAR-fluorosensor products from an operational altitude of 150 m. The use of a PS II sub-saturating probe pulse increases the response signal but also results in excessive energy quenching (EEQ) affecting the ΔF/Fsat magnitude. The airborne data indicated up to a 3-fold EEQ-caused decline in ΔF/Fsat, and 2-fold variability in the EEQ rate constant over a spatial scale a few hundred kilometers. Therefore, continuous monitoring of EEQ parameters must be incorporated in the operational SP-P&P protocol to provide data correction for the EEQ effect. Simultaneous airborne LIDAR measurements of ΦPo and σPS II with EEQ correction were shown to be feasible and optimal laser excitation parameters were determined. Strong daytime ΔF/Fsat decline under ambient light was found in the near-surface water layer over large aquatic areas. An example of SP-P&P LIDAR measurement of phytoplankton photochemical and fluorescent characteristics in the Chesapeake Bay mouth is presented. Prospects for future SP-P&P development and related problems are discussed.
Physical Attractiveness and Judgments of Morality following an “Immoral” Act

98 male and female undergraduates judged the morality of a female who was described as having premarital sexual intercourse with a male she had never met before or with whom she had been dating for six months. Half were told that the female was extremely attractive and half were told that she was quite unattractive. As predicted, subjects evaluated the attractive female as being less moral than the unattractive one and this finding was most pronounced when she had not known her partner previously.
Quadratically and linearly constrained statistically dependent time-frequency kernel design

Time-frequency kernel design is formulated as a minimum variance constrained minimization problem. The minimized cost function is quadratic and depends on the second order statistics of the underlying process. In addition to the original constraints leading to the marginal and the support properties, quadratic constraints are employed to add flexibility in kernel design and to allow the user to compromise between the kernel statistical performance under two or more processes. Computer simulations are presented which illustrate statistical performance of the t-f kernel under the original and the additional linear and quadratic t-f constraints. >
Gang problems in nometropolitan areas: A longitudinal assessment

The spread of youth gangs to nonmetropolitan counties in the 1990s has been widely cited but difficult to document empirically and interpret theoretically. Using merged data from the 1996, 1997, and 1998 National Youth Gang Surveys, and matching the combined National Youth Gang Surveys with demographic data from the Departments of Commerce and Agriculture, we provide a comparative analysis of social, economic, and demographic differences among nonmetropolitan jurisdictions in which gangs are reported to have been persistent problems, those in which gangs have been more transitory, and those which report no gang problems. Drawing indicators from four distinct frameworks for explaining community differences in gang problems—ecological, economic deprivation, population composition, and social diffusion—we assess the application of explanations for urban gangs to less urbanized areas.
Information Sharing in a Supply Chain: Technology Choices for Reliability

Information sharing is the backbone of collaboration in a supply chain. In a B2B environment, partners may share information online using different technologies - the higher the technology sophistication, the higher are its cost and information reliability. We study the interactions between investment in technology, information reliability, and operational decisions, in a supply chain where the supplier is unable to make instantaneous deliveries due to manufacturing or purchase lead times. Our intent is to determine the economic equilibrium between supply chain partners incorporating information unreliability, to determine the optimal investment in technology for enhancing information reliability, and to structure an incentive scheme to ensure partners' participation in sharing information. Our study reveals that (i) access technology geared to reducing information noise, increases retailer's order quantity and decreases supplier's inventory buffer; (ii) increased demand-uncertainty increases value of information sharing; (iii) sharing the gains from noise reduction benefits both supplier and retailer but not indefinitely; (iv) technology with even moderate noise reduction rating can accrue benefits to the supplier if demand uncertainty is high, but the supplier becomes less willing to share gains.
James Madison and QThe Business of May NextQ (a)

On May 30, 1787, the second day of the Convention held in the Pennsylvania State House, six states voted "aye" and one "nay" to the proposal to establish "a national Government ... consisting of a supreme Legislative, Executive and Judiciary." In that moment, delegates who had gathered merely to revise the Articles of Confederation agreed to abolish it. In that moment, James Madison earned the title of Father of the Constitution, although he had not even introduced the proposal.
Characterization of the 1p/19q chromosomal loss in oligodendrogliomas using comparative genomic hybridization arrays (CGHa).

Loss of genetic material from the short arm of chromosome 1 and the long arm of chromosome 19 in anaplastic oligodendrogliomas has been shown to predict responsiveness to chemotherapy. Currently, the most common approach used to detect this loss of 1p/19q material employs microsatellite/FISH analysis using markers along the length of these chromosome arms. This analysis is highly focused and carried out on a locus-by-locus basis and gives no indication of the extent of other genetic changes occurring in the tumor cells, which may be important in future studies to explore genetic heterogeneity in the response to treatment. We have investigated the use of comparative genomic hybridization arrays (CGHa) of bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs) in the identification of tumor samples that carry loss of the 1p/19q chromosome arms. These BAC arrays carry approximately 6,000 BAC clones and provide an average inter-BAC resolution of 500 Kb. Using this approach we have clearly shown that 1p/19q loss in these cases, when compared with microsatellite-mediated detection of loss of heterozygosity, is due to physical hemizygous deletion of the whole chromosome arms in all cases. Furthermore, CGHa allows the simultaneous definition of the other genetic changes that are occurring in the tumors. From our survey of 14 tumors consisting of low-grade oligodendrogliomas (n = 6), anaplastic oligodendrogliomas (n = 5), or mixed oligoastrocytoma (n = 3), we were able to demonstrate the presence of additional genetic markers that were characteristic of the various grades of tumors as well as novel changes that had occurred. Thus, CGHa provides a robust, high throughput, genome-wide analysis of genetic changes of oligodendroglial tumors that can be used not only to predict chemo-responsiveness but also place these genetic changes in the context of other abnormalities in the same experiment without the need for extensive chromosome or LOH analysis.
A New Genus and Several New Species of North American Histeridae (Coleoptera)

The following Histeridae are described chiefly from the collections of the U. S. National Museum and the U. S. Biological Survey. The writer is indebted to Dr. Edward A. Chapin, Mr. Herbert S. Barber, and Mr. Lawrence W. Saylor for their kind co-operation in making the material available for study.
Seed failure following hybridisation between 4nCorchorus capsularis L. (strain D. 154) and 3nC. olitorius L. (strain C.G.) and its reciprocal and some cytogenetical observations

In both types of crosses (3n C.G.×4n D 154 and 4n D 154×3n C.G.) pods were found to set. In the first case pods shed within 4 days. In the second case pods were found to persist till maturity. Only a few uppermost ovules were found to be fertilized. Pollen tubes were seen to reach the ovules within 24 hours.
Readministration of drotrecogin alfa (activated) in an adult with severe sepsis

Purpose The case of a patient with severe, multidrug-resistant, postoperative sepsis who was successfully treated with drotrecogin alfa (activated) on two occasions is reported. Summary After a thigh debridement procedure, a 55-year-old African-American woman developed systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) secondary to necrotizing fasciitis. Despite empiric treatment including piperacillin–tazobactam and vancomycin, the patient remained severely hemodynamically unstable, exhibiting signs of multiorgan failure and requiring mechanical ventilation and the placement of a tracheostomy tube. After the administration of i.v. drotrecogin alfa (activated) 160 mg (24 μg/kg/hr) over 96 hours in combination with standard i.v. antimicrobials and vasopressin, the patient’s hemodynamic status improved considerably. About three weeks later, the patient again developed SIRS that was refractory to standard therapies. After the results of laboratory cultures indicated ventilator-associated pneumonia due to multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae, the woman received a second course of drotrecogin alfa and other therapies. Her condition improved and she was extubated and eventually transferred to a medical–surgical unit for continued care. While drotrecogin alfa, a recombinant form of human activated protein C (APC), has been shown to reduce mortality in adults with severe sepsis and acute organ dysfunction, previous reports indicated an increased risk of thrombotic events with the use of the drug, and there is speculation that the development of anti-APC antibodies might result in a diminished therapeutic response. In the case described here, there were no thrombotic events during or after either drotrecogin alfa infusion and no clinical evidence of antibody formation. Conclusion A patient received two complete courses of drotrecogin alfa (activated) without any treatment-related complications.
Enhanced Detection of Low-Abundance Host Cell Protein Impurities in High-Purity Monoclonal Antibodies Down to 1 ppm Using Ion Mobility Mass Spectrometry Coupled with Multidimensional Liquid Chromatography.

The enormous dynamic range of proteinaceous species present in protein biotherapeutics poses a significant challenge for current mass spectrometry (MS)-based methods to detect low-abundance HCP impurities. Previously, an HCP assay based on two-dimensional chromatographic separation (high pH/low pH) coupled to high-resolution quadrupole time-of-flight (QTOF) mass spectrometry and developed in the author’s laboratory has been shown to achieve a detection limit of about 50 ppm (parts per milion) for the identification and quantification of HCPs present in monoclonal antibodies following Protein A purification.1 To improve the HCP detection limit we have explored the utility of several new analytical techniques for HCP analysis and thereby developed an improved liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) methodology for enhanced detection of HCPs. The new method includes (1) the use of a new charge-surface-modified (CSH) C18 stationary phase to mitigate the challenges of column saturation, peak tailing, a...
What controls the transition from confined to unconfined flow? : Analysis of hydraulics in a river delta

Abstract Recent field work at the Wax Lake Delta (WLD) in coastal Louisiana indicates lateral outflow from channels to islands upstream of the receiving basin; in this region of the delta the flow ...
Transcatheter aortic valve insertion after previous mitral valve operation.

Abstract Objective There are limited data on transcatheter aortic valve insertion after previous mitral valve operation. To better understand the associated procedural risks, we reviewed our single-center experience. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the records of 772 consecutive patients who received transcatheter aortic valve insertion from November 2008 through August 2016. There were 18 (2%) patients who had previous mitral valve operation that included valve repair in 4 patients (22%) and replacement in 14 (78%). Results Baseline characteristics included age of 77 years (interquartile range 68, 84), female sex in 11 patients (61%), New York Heart Association functional class III/IV in 14 (78%), and Society of Thoracic Surgeons predicted risk of mortality of 7.0% (5.3, 12.0). Access was transfemoral in 14 patients (78%). Valve insertion was successful in all patients and involved a balloon expandable device in 10 (56%). No patient experienced acute mitral valve dysfunction or procedure-related mortality. Follow-up echocardiography demonstrated mean systolic aortic valve gradient of 9 mm Hg (8, 12), no grade moderate or greater aortic paravalvular regurgitation, and stable mitral valve function. Kaplan-Meier estimated survival was 90.9% ± 9.1% at 1 year. Conclusions Transcatheter aortic valve insertion appears to be a safe and effective operation after previous mitral valve operation. Procedure success was achieved with both balloon expandable and self-expanding devices and was independent of arterial access method. Transcatheter valve insertion should not be denied strictly on the basis of a previous mitral valve operation.
Technical Note: A PRELIMINARY STUDY TO QUANTIFY THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF CONCRETE AND CORK FLOORING

Cross-laminated timber (CLT) is currently sought as a sustainable and green building material. It does not meet the International Building Code sound insulating requirements, and either a concrete slab or hardwood flooring is needed to meet the acoustic and vibrational performance benchmark. Cork, the bark of the cork oak, is well known for its sound insulating properties and often used for flooring applications in Europe. The cork-based flooring system is a potential solution to the acoustic problem faced by the CLT building industry. The goal of this preliminary study was to quantify the environmental impacts of a concrete and a cork-based flooring system that includes CLT. A life-cycle analysis (LCA) is conducted to focus on a cradle-to-gate comparison of a cork flooring system with a locally sourced concrete flooring system for use in a proposed CLT structure in Portland, OR. The LCA reveals that the global warming potential (GWP) of concrete is 25% higher for the concrete flooring system. For cork flooring, the GWP is mainly driven by inorganic compounds in the flooring assembly. The main source for cork is Portugal, which increases the GWP of the cork flooring system, in contrast to that of concrete flooring, which typically has a regional production and supply system. As environmental abatement costs increase, the profitability of cork flooring can increase to justify the creation of an appropriate system to close the loop.