cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Research & Development Pathways/Challenges in Direct Air Capture of CO 2

Economic growth, due to increased consumerism, extravagance and human greed, necessitates higher energy demand. Fossil fuels burning, which generates carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, provides this energy resulting in a quantum jump in carbon dioxide emission and accumulation. Carbon cycle and other natural processes like mineralization of carbon dioxide through weathering of rocks rich in magnesium or calcium are inadequate to remove excess greenhouse gases. This has caused global climate change, threatening the existence of living beings including Homo sapiens. Removing carbon dioxide from atmosphere, either at the sites of carbon dioxide generation like power plants, called point capture of carbon dioxide (PCC) or in ambient air popularly known as direct air capture (DAC), therefore has become a necessity. In this chapter, DAC techniques like biosequestration, absorption and adsorption are discussed along with the challenges in their implementation. The DAC machines offer a greater flexibility of usage, as they are not tethered to the generation plants and can be placed at the site of subsequent usage of carbon dioxide or sequestration. Challenges in DAC are requirement of high energy, high water consumption and economic viability. Few companies have incorporated these techniques in their startups, and these have been deliberated along with the financial costs. It is concluded that initiating direct air capture as research and development projects on larger scale will help in developing viable options for carbon dioxide reduction as a future strategy.
Chronic Exercise Mitigates the Effects of Sirtuin Inhibition by Salermide on Endothelium-Dependent Vasodilation

Sirtuins are regulators of eNOS and endothelial function; however, no studies have examined the influence of exercise on sirtuin regulation of endothelial function. Effects of the novel sirtuin inhibitor, salermide, on vascular reactivity in rat aortas were investigated following exercise training of different durations. Male Wistar rats (8–9 months old) were divided into four groups (n = 10–12/group): sedentary (SED), 1 day (1D), 2 weeks (2WK), or 6 weeks (6WK) of exercise. Exercise consisted of running on a motor-driven treadmill at 15 m/min, 15% grade, for 40 min (1D) increased up to 1 h at the end of 2 weeks (2WK) and sustained for an additional 4 weeks (6WK). Dose responses to phenylephrine, sodium nitroprusside, and acetylcholine in the presence or absence of salermide (30 µM) were analyzed. SIRT1 and eNOS protein expression as well as nitrotyrosine levels were determined by immunoblotting. Superoxide dismutase activity was determined by colorimetric assay. Sirtuin inhibition significantly impaired acetylcholine-induced vasorelaxtion in aortas in SED, 1D, and 2WK endurance trained rats but not in 6WK. eNOS expression significantly increased ~ 2.0-fold in 1D, 2WK, and 6WK groups. SIRT1 expression and 3-nitrotyrosine levels were significantly increased in 1D and 2WK but were not significantly elevated in 6WK. SOD levels were significantly elevated in 6WK. These data suggest that chronic endurance training diminishes the role of sirtuins in regulating endothelium-dependent relaxation and appears to be related to changes in SIRT1 expression as well as redox status.
Multi-objective Coevolution and Decision-making for Cooperative and Competitive Environments

Co-evolutionary algorithms involve two co-evolving populations, each having its own set of objectives and constraints, that interact with each other during function evaluation. Co-evolutionary algorithms are of great interest in cooperative and competing games and search tasks in which multiple agents having different interests are in play. Despite a number of single-objective co-evolutionary studies, there has been limited interest in multi-objective co-evolutionary algorithms. A recent study has revealed that in addition to the challenges associated with the development of an efficient algorithm, a proper understanding of the conflicting objectives within a single population and their interaction among objectives of the second population becomes extremely difficult to comprehend. In this paper, we extend the previous proof-of-principle multi-objective co-evolutionary (MOCoEv) study in three important directions. First, we enhance MOCoEv’s ability to handle mixed cooperating and conflicting scenarios among different players. Second, we propose an iterative multi-criterion decision-making (MCDM) approach to demonstrate how, in an arms-race type scenario, the most appropriate solution can be selected from the obtained Pareto-optimal solution set iteratively. Third, we extend the previous MOCoEv algorithm with a many-objective evolutionary algorithm (NSGA-III) to make them applicable to three or more objectives for each player. These three developments reveal better insights about the intricate issues related to multiple objectives and decision-making for co-evolutionary optimization and take MOCoEv a step closer to solving more complex multi-player problems.
Do Racial Differences In Orbital Volume Influence The Reconstruction Of Orbital Trauma

ABSTRACT PURPOSE : Successful orbital reconstruction relies on an accurate restoration of orbital volume (OV). The purpose of this study was to determine if the OV of African American (AA) subjects differs from that of Caucasian subjects. MATERIALS AND METHODS : The authors implemented a retrospective observational study of successive subjects who received a maxillofacial computed tomography (CT) scan at a level I trauma center between 2017 and 2020. The primary predictor variable was race (AA/Caucasian). The primary outcome variable was orbital volume. Two independent examiners calculated OV with an open access OsiriX MD software version 10.0.5 (Pixmeo, Switzerland). Inter-rater reliability was calculated. Differences between races, genders, and sides were tested using independent samples t-test with a significance of p RESULTS : Sixty subjects (120 orbits) were included in the study. The mean age was 36.7 (SD ±13.2) years with a range of 22 to 78 years. Gender distribution was equal with 30 male (50%) and 30 female (50%) subjects. Inter-examiner reliability was 0.973. The mean OV of AA and Caucasians was 22.38 and 23.23 cm3, respectively (p = 0.07). The mean OV of AA and Caucasian males was 23.92 and 24.17cm 3 , respectively (p = 0.71). The mean OV in AA and Caucasian females was 20.84 and 22.28cm 3 , respectively (p = 0.013). CONCLUSION : African-American female subjects appear to have a smaller OV when compared to Caucasians which may influence orbital reconstruction. Laterality does not appear to be associated with any differences in OV.
Robotics and Automation Handbook

The History of Robotics, Wesley L. Stone Rigid-Body Kinematics, Gregorg S. Chirikjian Inverse Kinematics, Bill Goodwine Newton-Euler Dynamics of Robots, Mark L. Nagurka Lagrangian Dynamics, Milo?s ? Zefran and Francesco Bullo Kane's Method in Robotics, Keith W. Buffinton The Dynamics of Systems of Interacting Rigid Bodies, Kenneth A. Loparo and Ioannis S. Vakalis D-H Convention, Jaydev P. Desai Trajectory Planning for Flexible Robots, William E. Singhose Error Budgeting, Daniel D. Frey Design of Robotic End Effectors, Hodge Jenkins Sensors, Jeanne Sullivan Falcon Precision Positioning of Rotary and Linear Systems, Stephen Ludwick Modeling and Identification for Robot Motion Control, Dragan Kosti'c, Bram de Jager, and Maarten Steinbuch Motion Control by Linear Feedback Methods, Dragan Kosti'c, Bram de Jager, and Maarten Steinbuch Force/Impedance Control for Robotic Manipulators, Siddharth P. Nagarkatti and Darren M. Dawson Robust and Adaptive Motion Control of Manipulators, Mark W. Spong Sliding Mode Control of Robotic Manipulators, Hector M. Gutierrez Impedance and Interaction Control, Neville Hogan and Stephen P. Buerger Coordinated Motion Control of Multiple Manipulators, Kazuhiro Kosuge and Yasuhisa Hirata Robot Simulation, Lonnie J. Love Survey of Geometric Vision, Kun Huang and Yi Ma Haptic Interface to Virtual Environments, R. Brent Gillespie Flexible Robot Arms, Wayne J. Book Robotics in Medical Applications, Chris A. Raanes and Mohan Bodduluri Manufacturing Automation, Hodge Jenkins
The Marshall-Lerner condition at commodity level: Evidence from Korean-U.S. trade

The Marshall-Lerner condition asserts that a devaluation or depreciation will improve the trade balance if sum of price elasticities of import and export demand exceeds unity. Almost all previous studies estimated the condition using aggregate trade data. A new group is now emerging which uses data at commodity level to reduce aggregation bias. We add to this latter group by estimating the Marshall-Lerner condition using commodity prices from 10 single digit industries that trade between Korea and the U.S. We find support for the Marshall-Lerner condition in four industries. These four industries engage in almost 65% of the trade between the two countries.
Virtual Emergency Preparedness Gaming Simulation as New-Era Training and Planning Tool.

Emergency preparedness suffers great challenges, because of the vast number of threats needing consideration and the limited resources to carry out the programs. In developed countries like the United States, technical disaster relief has surpassed natural disaster relief as the main focus of emergency preparedness. Compared with natural disasters, technical disasters demonstrate new characteristics. Technical disasters may not have precedents. Intentional human-caused disasters like terror attacks can be highly creative. Because of these, traditional hazard analysis method based on historical records may not work for technical disaster preparedness. New methods are needed. Aware of this new trend, Information Systems department of New Jersey Institute Technology, New Jersey, U.S., started the research work in utilizing information systems to facilitate man-caused or technical disaster preparedness planning from 2002. The suggested solution is a Virtual Emergency Preparedness Gaming Simulation system. It is called “virtual” because participants join the simulation through Internet. It is called “gaming” because the participants are divided into competitive roles such as defense, attack, defense intelligence, and attack intelligence. It is all-man simulation, with no pre-defined modals, which makes this method flexible and easy to implement for different targets and purposes. Experiments are conducted to test the effects of this method, especially some important skills and competencies like Situation Awareness, Mental Rehearsal, Critical Thinking, and Creative Thinking.
Language based policy analysis in a SPKI Trust Management System

SPKI/SDSI is a standard for issuing authorization and name certificates. SPKI/SDSI can be used to implement a Trust Management System, where the policy for resource access is distributively specified by multiple trusted entities. Agents in the system need a formal mechanism for understanding the current state of policy. We present a first order temporal logic, called FTPL for specifying properties of a given SPKI/SDSI policy state. We also present algorithms to check if a SPKI/SDSI policy state satisfies a property specified in FTPL.
Regulation of Hepatic Gluconeogenesis by NT-PGC-1α, the Short Isoform of PGC-1α

Hepatic gluconeogenesis is critical for maintaining blood glucose homeostasis; but excessive hepatic gluconeogenesis is a major contributor to hyperglycemia in type 2 diabetes. The transcriptional coactivator PGC-1α plays a central role in regulating hepatic gluconeogenesis by transcriptional induction of key gluconeogenic enzymes (PEPCK and G6Pase) in response to nutrient deprivation. An aberrant elevation of PGC-1α gene expression in the diabetic liver stimulates hepatic glucose production, thus contributing to the development of hyperglycemia in type 2 diabetes. In the current study, we have found that an N-terminal isoform of PGC-1α (designated NT-PGC-1α), which is generated by alternative splicing of the PGC-1α gene, is co-expressed with PGC-1α in the liver and highly induced in response to cAMP and glucocorticoid signaling in fasted mice. Forced expression of NT-PGC-1α in primary hepatocytes robustly drives the expression of PEPCK and G6Pase and increases glucose production. In agreement with this f...
Estimating the Probability of a Rare Event via Elliptical Copulas

Abstract A rare event happens with an extremely small probability but may cost billions of dollars. How to model and estimate the small probability of such an event is of importance to the insurance industry. Based on multivariate extreme value theory, methods have been proposed to extrapolate data into a far tail region. However, questions still remain open, such as the direction of extrapolation for a multivariate distribution and threshold selection for both marginals and the tail dependence function. In this paper we provide a way to estimate the probability of a rare event via modeling marginals and dependence by heavy tailed distributions and elliptical copulas, respectively. Hence, the direction of extrapolation becomes irrelevant. Moreover we employ recent threshold selection procedures to choose tuning parameters automatically.
Improving operational plume forecasts

Forecasting how plumes of particles, such as radioactive particles from a nuclear disaster, will be transported and dispersed in the atmosphere is an important but computationally challenging task. During the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan, operational plume forecasts were produced each day, but as the emissions continued, previous emissions were not included in the simulations used for forecasts because it became impractical to rerun the simulations each day from the beginning of the accident.Draxler and Rolph examine whether it is possible to improve plume simulation speed and flexibility as conditions and input data change. The authors use a method known as a transfer coefficient matrix approach that allows them to simulate many radionuclides using only a few generic species for the computation. Their simulations work faster by dividing the computation into separate independent segments in such a way that the most computationally time consuming pieces of the calculation need to be done only once. This makes it possible to provide real-time operational plume forecasts by continuously updating the previous simulations as new data become available. They tested their method using data from the Fukushima incident to show that it performed well. (Journal of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres, doi:10.1029/2011JD017205, 2012)
Physician counseling, informed consent and parental decision making for infants with hypoplastic left-heart syndrome

Until the development in 1980 by William Norwood of a staged palliative surgical procedure for hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HPLHS), there was no treatment for that condition. With medical developments in the 1980s, parents had the option of the Norwood procedure, transplantation or comfort care for a child born with HPLHS. With an improvement in the survival rate for the Norwood procedure from an initial 30% to now better than 80%, some physicians believe that comfort care should no longer be an option. If, however, medically sophisticated parents, who know the neurological and motor skills impairments that accompany HPLHS, object to the surgery, they are allowed to opt for comfort care. This two-pronged approach to medical treatment seems to violate the norms on equity and fairness in the care of the patient. Parents need to be informed about long-term neurological and motor skill development as well as survival rates to give informed consent.
Durable response to combination therapy including staphylococcal protein A immunoadsorption in life-threatening refractory autoimmune hemolysis.

Background Few therapeutic options are available for severe, life-threatening, refractory autoimmune hemolytic anemia. Case report A 53-year-old 110-kg man was seen with acute onset of symptomatic severe anemia with syncope, unstable angina, and jaundice. His nadir Hct was 8.3 percent with a peak total bilirubin of 44 mg per dL. The DAT was positive but the IAT was negative. Elution studies demonstrated an IgG pan-agglutinin antibody reactive at 37 degrees C. Treatment with high-dose corticosteroids and IVIG was instituted. An accessory spleen measuring 2 cm was identified and surgically removed, but the patient continued to have intense hemolysis. Cyclophosphamide at 200 mg per day was started. Apheresis with a staphylococcal protein A immunoadsorption column (Prosorba, Cypress Bioscience, Inc.) was initiated on Day 18 and was performed twice weekly for a total of six treatments. Cyclophosphamide was continued for a total of 14 days. His transfusion requirement ceased by the third immunoadsorption treatment. Forty units of RBCs were required over 23 days in an attempt to maintain a Hct greater than or equal to 15 percent. Conclusion Refractory autoimmune hemolysis can be a life-threatening event. The patient did not achieve a response until after several different therapeutic modalities were instituted, including plasmapheresis with a staphylococcal protein A column (Prosorba). A complete response continues to be durable for more than 1 year after therapy.
Some model-restricted shrinkage estimators for contingency tables with missing data

For contingency tables with extensive missing data, the unrestricted MLE under the saturated model, computed by the EM algorithm, is generally unsatisfactory. In this case, it may be better to fit a simpler model by imposing some restrictions on the parameter space. Perlman and Wu (1999) propose lattice conditional independence (LCI) models for contingency tables with arbitrary missing data patterns. When this LCI model fits well, the restricted MLE under the LCI model is more accurate than the unrestricted MLE under the saturated model, but not in general. Here we propose certain empirical Bayes (EB) estimators that adaptively combine the best features of the restricted and unrestricted MLEs. These EB estimators appear to be especially useful when the observed data is sparse, even in cases where the suitability of the LCI model is uncertain. We also study a restricted EM algorithm (called the ER algorithm) with similar desirable features.
Horse-related injuries in pediatric patients.

Abstract Purpose: The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics, nature, severity and outcome of injuries from horse-related trauma in pediatric patients, aged of 19 years or younger. Methods: Retrospective analysis was conducted of 315 patients recorded in the National Pediatric Trauma Registry from February 1995 to August 1999. Results: A total of 62% of the 315 patients were girls. The median age of injury was 10 years. Sixty-five percent of the patients were injured while mounted on a horse, and the most common mechanism of injury was falling off the horse. The most frequent reason for hospital admission was skeletal fractures followed by head injuries. The head, neck, and face area was the most commonly injured anatomic site, followed by the upper extremity, the abdomen, and then the lower extremity. The median length of stay in the hospital was 2 days. Forty percent of the patients needed treatment in the intensive care unit with a median length of stay of 2 days. Thirty-nine percent of patients underwent surgical procedures. The Injury Severity Score ranged from moderate to critical in 31.5% of the children. There were 8 deaths, 2.5% of the injured children. The most common cause of mortality was head injuries. Of the 307 survivors, 3% were discharged to a rehabilitation center, and 2% of the children had 1 or more functional impairments lasting longer than 7 months after discharge. Conclusions: Horse-related trauma is frequent in children and can cause severe injuries resulting in death and long-term disability. Awareness of the nature of injuries is important to avoid underestimation of their severity. J Pediatr Surg 35:1766-1770. Copyright © 2000 by W.B. Saunders Company.
Protecting children by preserving their families

Abstract The growing emphasis in the field of child welfare in the United States on preserving families has resulted in renewed attention to the reunification of children in out-of-home placement with their families. Yet this form of family preservation is viewed by some as competing with the government's responsibility to protect children. It is true, of course, that in particular cases these two responsibilities are incompatible, and the child's safety and protection become paramount. However, at the philosophical and policy levels family preservation and child protection are complementary rather than competing values. In essence, the best way to protect children is to preserve as much of their families as possible.
Interface optical phonon modes in wurtzite quantum heterostructures

This paper formulated the interface optical phonon modes for two particular asymmetrical heterostructures: SiC/GaN/Vacuum and AIN/GaN/Vacuum. The interface optical phonon potentials and dispersion relations are determined for these structures. Using these results, the carrier-interface-phonon interaction Hamiltonian is formulated.
Human insoluble lens protein. I. Separation and partial characterization of polypeptides.

Abstract A number of new methods are described for fractionating the polypeptides of the water insoluble protein from human lenses. In most cases, three major fractions can be obtained: a high molecular weight (HMW) polypeptide fraction containing components greater than 100 000 daltons plus a 43 000 dalton fraction, an intermediate sized fraction containing components from 27 000 to 20 000 daltons and a low molecular weight fraction containing an 11 000 dalton component. Under certain conditions, the 11 000, 43 000 and > 100 000 dalton fraction can be obtained pure on the basis of SDS gel electrophoresis. Marked charge heterogeneity was observed in all samples investigated. The HMW polypeptide fraction is the major component containing 50% of the H 2 O insoluble protein with 30% represented by the 27 000–20 000 dalton fraction and 20% by the 11 000 dalton component. Investigation of the urea soluble and urea insoluble components of the water insoluble fraction indicates a close similarity in chemical and physical characteristics. On the basis of similarity in chemical and physical properties and increasing insolubility, it is proposed that a precursor relationship may exist where by HMW protein → urea soluble → urea insoluble protein. The HMW polypeptide fraction may not be stabilized by intrachain disulfide bonds. Furthermore, the marked susceptibility of this fraction to tryptic digestion where essentially only low molecular weight components rapidly appear, suggests that there may be few if any non-reducible crosslinks stabilizing the overall HMW polypeptide structure. The absence of any free NH 2 -terminal residue in the H 2 O insoluble fraction suggests that unmodified γ-crystallin may not be present.
Refractoriness to mammary carcinogenesis in the parous mouse is reversible by hormonal stimulation induced by pituitary isografts

We have previously reported that mouse mammary epithelial cells transformed in vitro yield tumors which vary qualitatively and quantitatively as a function of the mitogenic environment in which the cells are propagated at the time of carcinogen treatment. One milieu supportive of transformation in vitro was medium supplemented with progesterone and prolactin as the mitogens. We have performed parallel studies in which virgin mice were isografted with pituitaries resulting in elevated serum titers of progesterone and prolactin. After carcinogen treatment, these mice developed mammary tumors which included those identical genotypically and phenotypically to tumors induced in vitro in cells grown in progesterone and prolactin during carcinogen exposure. Our current working hypothesis is that the mitogenic environment around the time of carcinogen administration can modulate the incidence and phenotype of the resultant tumors. To further test this hypothesis, we have evaluated the susceptibility of hormonally-stimulated parous mice to chemically induced mammary carcinogenesis since parity is known to significantly reduce the susceptibility of the mouse mammary gland to carcinogenesis. Virgin or multiparous BALB/c mice were isografted with two pituitaries. Five weeks after surgery, the mice were injected with N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU; 50 μg/g i.v.). Mammary carcinomas arose in 85% (1113) with a median latency of 22.8 weeks and 1.9 tumors per virgin mouse and 80% (2430) with a median latency of 22.1 weeks at a frequency of 1.9 tumors per parous mouse. Only 14% (214) of the non-isografted, age-matched parous controls developed tumors when injected with MNU. Fourteen parous mice receiving only pituitary isografts (no MNU), did not develop mammary carcinomas within the 7-month period of the study. These results demonstrate that parous BALB/c mice are refractory to MNU-induced mammary carcinogenesis and that this refractoriness is not permanent, but can be overcome by hormonal stimulation mediated by pituitary isografts.
Wavelet-Based Bootstrap for Time Series Analysis

ABSTRACT Using wavelet domain analysis and modeling of stochastic processes, we develop a unified bootstrap scheme that can be applied to both short-range dependent and long-range dependent stationary Gaussian time series. Our idea was motivated by the fact that the discrete wavelet transform is capable of converting long-range dependence in the time domain into short-range dependence in the wavelet domain. Hence we can use a simple Markov model to model the short-range dependence in the wavelet domain. The Markov model is used to generate a new version (the bootstrapped version) of the wavelet representation of the time series. The bootstrapped series is obtained by performing the inverse wavelet transform on the new wavelet representation of the original series. We compare our wavelet-based bootstrap with the moving block bootstrap for estimating the standard errors of the unit lag sample autocorrelation and the sample standard deviation. Our results show that the wavelet-based bootstrap can achieve per...
Contributing to Theory and Knowledge in Quantitative Communication Science

We propose a framework for understanding how quantitative researchers typically seek to contribute to theory and generalizable knowledge in communication, noting some of the strengths and weaknesses of the various approaches typically used. The major approaches are described, and a content analysis of articles from four issues each of Journal of Communication, Human Communication Research, and Communication Research spanning parts of 2008 and 2009 provides information about their relative frequency of use in the field. We discuss how these categories can be employed by researchers when conceptualizing and articulating the theoretical contributions planned in their research and by reviewers, editors, and researchers in critically assessing such contributions in the work of others.
The Dubious Assessment of Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Adolescents of Add Health

In this essay, we argue that researchers who base their investigations of nonheterosexuality derived from reports of romantic attractions of adolescent participants from Wave 1 of Add Health must account for their disappearance in future waves of data collection. The high prevalence of Wave 1 youth with either both-sex or same-sex romantic attractions was initially striking and unexpected. Subsequent data from Add Health indicated that this prevalence sharply declined over time such that over 70 % of these Wave 1 adolescents identified as exclusively heterosexual as Wave 4 young adults. Three explanations are proposed to account for the high prevalence rate and the temporal inconsistency: (1) gay adolescents going into the closet during their young adult years; (2) confusion regarding the use and meaning of romantic attraction as a proxy for sexual orientation; and (3) the existence of mischievous adolescents who played a “jokester” role by reporting same-sex attraction when none was present. Relying on Add Health data, we dismissed the first explanation as highly unlikely and found support for the other two. Importantly, these “dubious” gay, lesbian, and bisexual adolescents may have led researchers to erroneously conclude from the data that sexual-minority youth are more problematic than heterosexual youth in terms of physical, mental, and social health.
Ab initio theoretical studies of a novel tungsten dihydrogen complex

Abstract Theoretical studies of H 2 bound to W(CO) 3 (PH 3 ) 2 predict a stable η 2 complex with equal WH bonds (2.15 A) and a slightly lengthened (0.79 A) HH bond. The results are compared with recent experimental studies of the related W(CO) 3 (P- i -Pr 3 ) 2 (H 2 ) complex, and the nature of the bonding is discussed.
The influence of quinidine and other agents on digitalis glycosides

Initial reports of the interaction between quinidine and digoxin have led to attempts to delineate the various facets of this interaction, forced a reexamination of our understanding of the pharmacodynamics of digitalis glycosides, helped identify related interactions, and provided additional questions for further research. The following considerations delineate the existing data on numerous aspects of the quinidine-digoxin interaction, outline related drug interactions, and identify questions deserving further study. The interaction between quinidine and digoxin, which was first described in 1978, produces a sustained elevation in the serum digoxin concentration (SDC). Since the interaction was first identified several investigators have attempted to define the interaction in terms of its frequency of occurrence, magnitude, time course, and the importance of drug dose or serum level; describe the mechanisms involved; evaluate the clinical significance; and suggest management options.
Analysis of unbalanced system efficiency with a positive sequence power flow program

Most existing power flow programs assume balanced loading where the positive sequence impedances are sufficient to use. However, a more accurate approach is often required due to the increasing penetration of single-phase distributed generation sources on distribution grids which tend to introduce large imbalances. The proposed method uses a positive sequence power flow algorithm where the inputs are modified to accurately simulate an unbalanced system. The algorithm is tested on the IEEE 4-bus system and the results compared with published results. The impact of the analysis on system efficiency calculations are shown for the 4-bus system as well as for a large distribution system (FREEDM Green Hub) with solid-state transformers (SSTs) and distributed generation. With this modeling technique, a better understanding of an unbalanced system can be achieved and steps taken to improve the efficiency.
Structural MRI covariance patterns associated with normal aging and neuropsychological functioning.

Structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies have shown dramatic age-associated changes in grey and white matter volume, but typically use univariate analyses that do not explicitly test the interrelationship among brain regions. The current study used a multivariate approach to identify covariance patterns of grey and white matter tissue density to distinguish older from younger adults. A second aim was to examine whether the expression of the age-associated covariance topographies is related to performance on cognitive tests affected by normal aging. Eighty-four young (mean age = 24.0) and 29 older (mean age = 73.1) participants were scanned with a 1.5 T MRI machine and assessed with a cognitive battery. Images were spatially normalized and segmented to produce grey and white matter density maps. A multivariate technique, based on the subprofile scaling model, was used to capture sources of between- and within-group variation to produce a linear combination of principal components that represented a “pattern” or “network” that best discriminated between the two age groups. Univariate analyses were also conducted with statistical parametric maps. Grey and white matter covariance patterns were identified that reliably discriminated between the groups with greater than 0.90 sensitivity and specificity. The identified patterns were similar for the univariate and multivariate techniques, and involved widespread regions of the cortex and subcortex. Age and the expression of both patterns were significantly associated with performance on tests of attention, language, memory, and executive functioning. The results suggest that identifiable networks of grey and white matter regions systematically decline with age and that pattern expression is linked to age-related cognitive decline.
Amplifiers and network elements in the Metro environment

The metropolitan network environment is a fast-growing and challenging space for optical communications. The environment spans a large range of length scales, channel counts, data rates, and services/formats. The large range of this application space places some unique requirements on the network elements required to implement these networks. The objective of this workshop is to better understand the requirements, design, and implementation of these network elements from both a business and technical point of view-with a special emphasis on amplifiers and active elements. Panelists will provide brief presentations followed by a question and answer session.
Siacci’s resolution of the acceleration vector for a space curve

For motion of a material point along a space curve, a kinematical decomposition, discovered by Siacci, expresses the acceleration vector as the sum of two special oblique components in the osculating plane to the curve. A new proof of Siacci’s theorem is presented.
A Fast and Efficient Version of the TwO-Moment Aerosol Sectional (TOMAS) Global Aerosol Microphysics Model

This study develops more computationally efficient versions of the TwO-Moment Aerosol Sectional (TOMAS) microphysics algorithms, collectively called Fast TOMAS. Several methods for speeding up the algorithm were attempted, but only reducing the number of size sections was adopted. Fast TOMAS models, coupled to the GISS GCM II-prime, require a new coagulation algorithm with less restrictive size resolution assumptions but only minor changes in other processes. Fast TOMAS models have been evaluated in a box model against analytical solutions of coagulation and condensation and in a 3-D model against the original TOMAS (TOMAS-30) model. Condensation and coagulation in the Fast TOMAS models agree well with the analytical solution but show slightly more bias than the TOMAS-30 box model. In the 3-D model, errors resulting from decreased size resolution in each process (i.e., emissions, cloud processing wet deposition, microphysics) are quantified in a series of model sensitivity simulations. Errors resulting from lower size resolution in condensation and coagulation, defined as the microphysics error, affect number and mass concentrations by only a few percent. The microphysics error in CN70CN100 (number concentrations of particles larger than 70100 nm diameter), proxies for cloud condensation nuclei, range from 5 to 5 in most regions. The largest errors are associated with decreasing the size resolution in the cloud processing wet deposition calculations, defined as cloud-processing error, and range from 20 to 15 in most regions for CN70CN100 concentrations. Overall, the Fast TOMAS models increase the computational speed by 2 to 3 times with only small numerical errors stemming from condensation and coagulation calculations when compared to TOMAS-30. The faster versions of the TOMAS model allow for the longer, multi-year simulations required to assess aerosol effects on cloud lifetime and precipitation.
Plastic deformation of polyethylene. I. Change of morphology during drawing of polyethylene of high density

The transformation of microspherulitic quenched and annealed polyethylene film into highly oriented drawn material with the characteristic fiber structure was investigated by small-angle and wide-angle x-ray measurements and by a study of the thermograms after the fuming nitric acid treatment. With the details of deformation depending slightly on the crystallinity, one observes generally a preferential tilt of the platelets against draw direction at draw ratios below 2. At least in annealed material, an increasing tilt of the molecule within the lamella is also observed, which leads at higher draw ratios to slipping of blocks in the crystallites. With further drawing a new fiber structure appears, which is practically independent of the thermal history of the original film. This fact is established by investigation of the crystal thickness by three different methods; investigations of small-angle scattering, study of the width of the (002) reflection, and investigation of the debris after treatment with fuming nitric acid.
Neonatal activation of the nuclear receptor CAR results in epigenetic memory and permanent change of drug metabolism in mouse liver

Aberrant epigenetic alterations during development may result in long-term epigenetic memory and have a permanent effect on the health of subjects. Constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) is a central regulator of drug/xenobiotic metabolism. Here, we report that transient neonatal activation of CAR results in epigenetic memory and a permanent change of liver drug metabolism. CAR activation by neonatal exposure to the CAR-specific ligand 1,4-bis[2-(3,5-dichloropyridyloxy)] benzene (TCPOBOP) led to persistently induced expression of the CAR target genes Cyp2B10 and Cyp2C37 throughout the life of exposed mice. These mice showed a permanent reduction in sensitivity to zoxazolamine treatment as adults. Compared with control groups, the induction of Cyp2B10 and Cyp2C37 in hepatocytes isolated from these mice was more sensitive to low concentrations of the CAR agonist TCPOBOP. Accordingly, neonatal activation of CAR led to a permanent increase of histone 3 lysine 4 mono-, di-, and trimethylation and decrease of H3K9 trimethylation within the Cyp2B10 locus. Transcriptional coactivator activating signal cointegrator-2 and histone demethylase JMJD2d participated in this CAR-dependent epigenetic switch. Conclusion: Neonatal activation of CAR results in epigenetic memory and a permanent change of liver drug metabolism. (HEPATOLOGY 2012)
Absorption and metabolism of amino acids with special emphasis on phenylalanine

The protein and essential amino acid content of the average American diet is reviewed; in the case of phenylalanine, average daily intake is 4.7 g, nearly five times greater than daily requirements, including those for tyrosine synthesis. Dietary protein is mostly absorbed as free amino acids and part as small peptides. Proteins from the digestive juices and from shed intestinal cells provide more protein for absorption, to give a total of some 150 g amino acids absorbed per day (probable phenylalanine content, 7.5 g). After a meal containing protein, the liver monitors access of the incoming amino acids to the systemic blood. For most essential amino acids, hepatic degradation is regulated in relation to adequacy of intake and rises sharply when intake exceeds requirements. In spite of this protection, the level of a given essential amino acid in the systemic plasma increases progressively when its intake exceeds requirements. The point at which plasma amino acids start to rise has been used to determine...
A universal construction of Artstein's theorem on nonlinear stabilization

Abstract This note presents an explicit proof of the theorem - due to Artstein - which states that the existence of a smooth control-Lyapunov function implies smooth stabilizability. Moreover, the result is extended to the real-analytic and rational cases as well. The proof uses a ‘universal’ formula given by an algebraic function of Lie derivatives; this formula originates in the solution of a simple Riccati equation.
Economic and political implications of immunology and aging on tomorrow's society

The historic development of immunology is associated with Eli Metchnikoff who introduced the term 'gerontology' in 1906. Metchnikoff also understood the impact of population aging on society as revealed in two remarkable books. The immune system is relevant to aging in so many ways immunesenescence, the potential role of immunological changes in the dementias, the interrelationship of immune resistance and bereavement, retirement and other life changes and transplantation biology and pathology. These are only a few examples of the interrelationships of immunology and aging. The economic and political implications of immunology and aging are rarely discussed. If we are not able to cure the disorders of longevity, we need to delay their onset and progression. Such an effort is enhanced by modern biology including recombinant DNA and Hybridoma technology. Many in society fear the growing numbers of older persons-can we afford old age? Will population aging lead to stagnation of society and will there be intergenerational conflicts? These gloomy notions are not entirely offset by enthusiasm for an extended high quality longevity. This presentation will discuss these various issues and offer positive solutions.
New insights into the regulation of the blood clotting cascade derived from the X-ray crystal structure of bovine meizothrombin des F1 in complex with PPACK.

Abstract Background: The conversion of prothrombin to thrombin by factor Xa is the penultimate step in the blood clotting cascade. In vivo , where the conversion occurs primarily on activated platelets in association with factor Va and Ca 2+ ions, meizothrombin is the major intermediate of the two step reaction. Meizothrombin rapidly loses the fragment 1 domain (F1) by autolysis to become meizothrombin des F1 (mzTBN-F1). The physiological properties of mzTBN-F1 differ dramatically from those of thrombin due to the presence of prothrombin fragment 2 (F2), which remains covalently attached to the activated thrombin domain in mzTBN-F1. Results: The crystal structure of mzTBN-F1 has been determined at 3.1 A resolution by molecular replacement, using only the thrombin domain, and refined to R and R free values of 0.205 and 0.242, respectively. The protease active site was inhibited with D-Phe-Pro-Arg-chloromethylketone (PPACK) to reduce autolysis. The mobile linker chain connecting the so-called kringle and thrombin domains and the first two N -acetylglucosamine residues attached to the latter were seen in electron-density maps improved with the program SQUASH. Previously these regions had only been modeled. Conclusions: The F2 kringle domain in mzTBN-F1 is bound to the electropositive heparin-binding site on thrombin in an orientation that is systematically shifted and has significantly more interdomain contacts compared to a noncovalent complex of free F2 and free thrombin. F2 in mzTBN-F1 forms novel hydrogen bonds to the carbohydrate chain of thrombin and perhaps stabilizes a unique, rigid conformation of the γ -autolysis loop through non-local effects. The F2 linker chain, which does not interfere with the active site or fibrinogen-recognition site, is arranged so that the two sites cleaved by factor Xa are separated by 36 A . The two mzTBN-F1 molecules in the asymmetric unit share a tight ‘dimer' contact in which the active site of one molecule is partially blocked by the F2 kringle domain of its partner. This interaction suggests a new model for prothrombin organization.
Contributions to the mathematical biophysics of visual aesthetics

An expression for the intensity of central excitation corresponding to the perception of an angle is derived. A general expression for the aesthetic value of certain types of polygonal patterns is derived there-from and compared with experimental values obtained by the rank order method. The theory is found to agree with the experiment within a limit of about 10%.
Neuropeptide Y blocks anxiogenic-like behavioral action of corticotropin-releasing factor in an operant conflict test and elevated plus maze.

Central administration of neuropeptide Y (NPY) produces anxiolytic-like behavioral effects in rat models of anxiety. Because previous evidence has suggested a relationship between NPY and corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) in the brain, we have focused on the interaction of these neuropeptide systems in emotional responsiveness to stressful stimuli. Intracerebroventricular administration of CRF produced a marked response suppression in an operant incremental shock conflict paradigm. NPY [(1 microg, intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.)] significantly antagonized the response-suppressing effects of CRF (0.75 microg, i.c.v.) on punished responding in the conflict test at doses that produced little or no behavioral effect when administered alone. Central administration of the CRF antagonist [D-Phe(12), Nle(21,38),C(alpha) MeLeu(37)]CRF (D-Phe CRF(12-41)) alone did not alter punished or unpunished responding in the conflict test. However, pretreatment with the CRF antagonist before a subthreshold dose of NPY (1 microg, i.c.v.) produced a significant potentiation of the release of punished responding relative to NPY alone and untreated controls. NPY also antagonized the "anxiogenic-like" behavioral effects of CRF in the elevated plus maze. These findings support the hypothesis that NPY and CRF may reciprocally modulate an animal's behavioral response to stressful stimuli.
Fuzzy resource management analysis

Abstract Traditionally, the efficient and productive delivery of services is a major goal of public institutions. This is especially true in the law enforcement industry. Here, the management of a set of dynamic resources (police patrol personnel) is central to the delivery of services. In the past there have been two major perspectives towards the management of low enforcement resources: first, ignoring all patterns in demands resources are distributed equally across time and space. Second, resources are deployed according to the proportionate distribution of demands. In both of these models the resources are manipulated or controlled according to an algorithm derived independently from demand patterns. These models are highly vulnerable to shifts in demand patterns and can be strategically inefficient and tactically unstable. In this paper a new algorithmic process is defined for the strategic and tactical evaluation of resource needs for police patrolling which combines deployment and control strategies, and simulates combinations of the strategies for comparative analysis. It was discovered that the degree of reliance upon the analysis of future resource usage and the accuracy of the projection of the future demands had a significant impact on the performance of the methodologies studied. This process can be used to draw general conclusions about patrolling systems.
Domain representability of certain function spaces

Abstract Let C p ( X ) be the space of all continuous real-valued functions on a space X , with the topology of pointwise convergence. In this paper we show that C p ( X ) is not domain representable unless X is discrete for a class of spaces that includes all pseudo-radial spaces and all generalized ordered spaces. This is a first step toward our conjecture that if X is completely regular, then C p ( X ) is domain representable if and only if X is discrete. In addition, we show that if X is completely regular and pseudonormal, then in the function space C p ( X ) , Oxtoby's pseudocompleteness, strong Choquet completeness, and weak Choquet completeness are all equivalent to the statement “every countable subset of X is closed”.
Factors contributing to refrigerator cycling losses

Abstract Oil solubility, refrigerant migration, and redistribution are three factors affecting the transient and cycling performance of all refrigeration and air conditioning equipment. These effects are quantified for a refrigerator instrumented with immersion thermocouples, pressure transducers, and microphones. The analytical methods, however, are applicable to other types of refrigeration and air conditioning systems, including those with capillary tube/suction line heat exchangers.