cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SoS Explorer: A Tool for System-of-Systems Architecting

System-of-systems (SoS) architecting is an important and difficult problem. Modeling and optimization are practically essential to develop a quality solution. However, modeling and optimization are highly specialized fields in their own rights and can easily become an obstacle to the architecting effort. SoS Explorer is a tool designed to mitigate this difficulty by providing a structured, yet flexible approach. Moreover, SoS explorer provides interactive visualization as well as a number of optimizers. Interactive visualization allows the architect to perform “what-if” analysis while the optimizers provide solutions that can act as initial architectures and demonstrate the optimal trade-space. The utility of this approach is demonstrated with a notional 22-system toy problem.
A Power-Frequency Controller With Resonance Frequency Tracking Capability for Inductive Power Transfer Systems

A self-tuning controller for power transfer regulation in inductive power transfer (IPT) systems is proposed in this paper. The controller enables power transfer regulation around a user-defined reference power level. The converter's efficiency is improved by constantly tuning the switching operations to the resonant current, thereby achieving the soft-switching operations reducing electromagnetic interference in the power converters. The self-tuning capability makes it ideal for dynamic IPT systems with uncertain loads and fluctuating resonance frequency. High operating frequencies can be achieved using the simplified digital circuit design for the controller, proposed in this paper, which delivers a low total propagation delay. Bidirectional power transfer can be enabled by using the proposed controller on both transmitter and receiver sides. In the reverse power flow mode, the primary converter operates as a rectifier and the power transfer is controlled through the secondary converter using the proposed controller. The performance of the proposed controller is analyzed using MATLAB/Simulink and the results are presented. Finally, the proposed controller is implemented experimentally and its performance is evaluated as a case study on an IPT system. The experimental and simulation results conform to each other, and show that the proposed converter can effectively regulate the power transfer with an improved efficiency.
In situ LA-ICPMS U–Pb dating of cassiterite without a known-age matrix-matched reference material: Examples from worldwide tin deposits spanning the Proterozoic to the Tertiary

Abstract Cassiterite (SnO2), a main ore mineral in tin deposits, is suitable for U–Pb isotopic dating because of its relatively high U/Pb ratios and typically low common Pb. We report a LA-ICPMS analytical procedure for U–Pb dating of this mineral with no need for an independently dated matrix-matched cassiterite standard. LA-ICPMS U-Th-Pb data were acquired while using NIST 612 glass as a primary non-matrix-matched standard. Raw data are reduced using a combination of Iolite™ and other off-line data reduction methods. Cassiterite is extremely difficult to digest, so traditional approaches in LA-ICPMS U-Pb geochronology that utilize well-characterized matrix-matched reference materials (e.g., age values determined by ID-TIMS) cannot be easily implemented. We propose a new approach for in situ LA-ICPMS dating of cassiterite, which benefits from the unique chemistry of cassiterite with extremely low Th concentrations (Th/U ratio of 10−4 or lower) in some cassiterite samples. Accordingly, it is assumed that 208Pb measured in cassiterite is mostly of non-radiogenic origin—it was initially incorporated in cassiterite during mineral formation, and can be used as a proxy for common Pb. Using 208Pb as a common Pb proxy instead of 204Pb is preferred as 204Pb is much less abundant and is also compromised by 204Hg interference during the LA-ICPMS analyses. Our procedure relies on 208Pb/206Pb vs 207Pb/206Pb (Pb-Pb) and Tera-Wasserburg 207Pb/206Pb vs 238U/206Pb (U-Pb) isochron dates that are calculated for a ~1.54 Ga low-Th cassiterite reference material with varying amounts of common Pb that we assume remained a closed U-Pb system. The difference between the NIST 612 glass normalized biased U-Pb date and the Pb-Pb age of the reference material is used to calculate a correction factor (F) for instrumental U-Pb fractionation. The correction factor (F) is then applied to measured U/Pb ratios and Tera-Wasserburg isochron dates are obtained for the unknown cassiterite analyzed in the same analytical session. This allows for U-Pb dating of cassiterite of any age with no need for an independently dated matrix-matched reference material, nor assumptions about the isotopic composition of common Pb. Results for cassiterite from tin deposits in Bolivia, Brazil, China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, and the United Kingdom, with ages ranging from ~20 Ma to ~2060 Ma, demonstrate the applicability of this approach across a broad range of geologic time. These ages are in good agreement with published geochronology of the host rocks associated with the tin deposits and with previously published U-Pb ages of some cassiterites from the same deposits. Thus, our in situ LA-ICPMS methodology verifies the use of cassiterite as a reliable U-Pb mineral-geochronometer with the advantages of fast and relatively low cost in situ analyses with moderate spatial resolution.
Tense and the Realization of the Feminine Plural in Hindi-Urdu

This chapter examines the realization of the plural feature in the context of the feminine feature in Hindi-Urdu. We argue that the plural feature is only realized in the presence of a feminine feature if this plural feature is in the context of finite tense. Our analysis gives a detailed treatment of agreement morphology in Hindi-Urdu and provides an independent way of characterizing finiteness in the language.
Electroenzymatic C–C Bond Formation from CO2

Over the past decade, there has been significant research in electrochemical reduction of CO2, but it has been difficult to develop catalysts capable of C–C bond formation. Here, we report bioelectrocatalysis of vanadium nitrogenase from Azotobacter vinelandii, where cobaltocenium derivatives transfer electrons to the catalytic VFe protein, independent of ATP-hydrolysis. In this bioelectrochemical system, CO2 is reduced to ethylene (C2H4) and propene (C3H6), by a single metalloenzyme.
Cancer Susceptibility Genetic Testing in a High-Risk Cohort of Urban Ashkenazi Jewish Individuals

Prior to 2013, genetic testing for Ashkenazi Jewish (AJ) individuals primarily consisted of the three-site BRCA1/BRCA2 AJ panel, full sequencing of BRCA1/2, or the Lynch syndrome mismatch repair genes. Multigene panel testing became more widely available in 2013, but limited data are available regarding the impact of multigene panel testing for AJ individuals. Here, we report the frequency of cancer susceptibility gene mutations in a cohort of 427 AJ individuals seen in the Cancer Risk Clinic at The University of Chicago. We found that 29% of affected and 37% of unaffected individuals carried a pathogenic mutation (32% of overall cohort), primarily known familial mutations in BRCA1/2. A minority of mutations were identified in non-BRCA1/2 genes and consisted mainly of AJ founder mutations in CHEK2, APC, and the mismatch repair genes. A panel of AJ founder mutations would have identified the majority (94%) of mutations in clinically actionable genes in both affected and unaffected patients. Based on recent cost-effectiveness studies, offering all AJ individuals a founder mutation panel may be a cost-effective cancer prevention strategy.
On pure uniform holomorphy in spaces of holomorphic germs

If E is a complex (DFC)-space (see § 2), we show that E leads to pure uniform holomorphy (see §2) if and only if its Frechet dual space E′ is separable (see Theorem 1, where these two conditions have other eight equivalent ones). By using a theorem of Mujica (see §4), we consider the (DFC)-space K(K) of germs around K of holomorphic C-valued functions where K is a nonvoid compact subset of a complex metrizable locally convex space E, and ℋ(K) is endowed with the topology ℐ0 obtained as an inductive limit of compact-open topologies (see §4). Not only Theorem 1 applies to ℋ(K), with E replaced by ℋ(K) in its statement, but also ℋ(K) leads to pure uniform holomorphy if and only if E is separable (see Theorem 2).
Abstract 1714: Loss of Urokinase Plasminogen Activator Expression in Macrophages Retards Aortic Atherosclerosis in Apolipoprotein E-Null Mice

Background Apolipoprotein E-null mice ( Apoe −/− ) with a macrophage-targeted urokinase (uPA) transgene (SR-uPA +/0 Apoe −/− ) have accelerated atherosclerosis (athero), severe coronary stenoses, and premature death. Moreover, transplantation of bone marrow (BM) from SR-uPA +/0 Apoe −/− mice accelerates lesion progression in nontransgenic Apoe −/− recipients. Hypothesis We hypothesized that macrophage-expressed uPA is an important modifier of athero, and that transplantation of uPA-deficient BM would retard athero. Methods BM from uPA-deficient ( Plau −/− ) or uPA wildtype ( Plau +/+ ) mice was transplanted into 8-wk-old Plau +/+ /mice. All were C57BL6 Apoe −/− mice. Experimental donor: Plau −/− Apoe −/− ; Recipient: Plau +/+ Apoe −/− Control donor: Plau +/+ Apoe −/− ; Recipient: Plau +/+ Apoe −/− The recipients were started on a Western diet at 12 wks of age and euthanized at 37 wks. Plasma lipid levels, FPLC profiles, and peripheral blood monocyte counts were obtained by standard methods. Athero was quantified by en face analysis of pinned whole aortas and using HE P =0.034). This difference appeared to be more pronounced in abdominal aorta, where lesions are at an earlier stage. However, recipients of Plau −/− BM had similar aortic root plaque area (0.7 ± 0.23 vs 0.6 ± 0.22 mm 2 ; P =0.3) and there was no change in total or percent ORO area of aortic root plaques (58 ± 5 vs 57 ± 9%; P =0.8). Conclusion Loss of uPA expression by macrophages retards athero in whole aortas of 37-wk old Apoe −/− mice, but does not affect aortic root plaque area or lipid content. Overall, our results suggest that low levels of macrophage-expressed uPA may facilitate lesion initiation (as in the present study) whereas high levels accelerate lesion progression (results of our previous work with uPA-overexpressing SR-uPA +/0 mice and transplantation of their BM). Inhibition of uPA might retard both initiation and progression of athero.
Colostomy: Types, Indications, Formation, and Reversal

A colostomy is an artificial opening of the colon to the abdominal wall. There are several indications for formation of a colostomy. A colostomy can be created as a primary method of treatment or as a secondary form of treatment. This secondary form of treatment is designed to be reversed at a later time. The initial step in colostomy formation is education of the patient, and the second step is proper marking of the site of the planned colostomy. There are several types of colostomy. The main types are end colostomy and loop colostomy. Additionally the location of the colostomy within the colon varies, depending on nature of pathology and the intention of the treatment.
Pituitary Secretory Activity and Endocrinophagy

Recent advances in quantitative electron-microscopic autoradiography, cytochemistry, and immunoassay techniques have provided more precise information on the location and kinetics of the intracellular processing of adenohypophyseal hormones than has been possible previously using other systems. These studies have elucidated many of the biochemical and morphological pathways in the synthesis, intracellular transport, release, and endocrinophagy of adenohypophyseal hormones. The growth-hormone (GH) cell or somatotroph has served as the model for our laboratory investigations on the mechanism(s) by which secretagogues stimulate hormone synthesis and release from the adenohypophysis.
Materials and Mechanics Analyses of Durability Tests for High-Temperature Polymer Matrix Composites

Models of the environmentally-induced degradation of composite materials and the effect of this degradation on composite laminate behavior are presented. Although the models are not sufficiently mature for predictive design use, they provide insights into the mechanisms of degradation of composite materials. The models are used to study test methods frequently used to assess composite durability, including weight loss, shrinkage, and mechanical property degradation testing. It is found that even simple tests of material undergoing environmentally induced degradation are difficult to interpret. In particular, the spatial nonuniformity of degradation converts originally simple specimens into complex structures with non-uniform chemical and mechanical states. Consideration of this complexity is vital to the full understanding of the results of such tests.
Aptamer-based proteomics of serum and plasma in acquired aplastic anemia

Single-stranded oligonucleotides containing deoxyuridine are aptamers (SOMAmers) that can bind proteins with high specificity and affinity and slow dissociation rates. SOMAscan, an aptamer-based proteomic technology, allows measurement of more than 1,300 proteins simultaneously for the identification of new disease biomarkers. The aim of the present study was to identify new serum and plasma protein markers for diagnosis of acquired aplastic anemia (AA) and response to immunosuppressive therapies (IST). SOMAscan was used to screen 1,141 serum proteins in 28 AA patients before and after therapy and 1,317 plasma proteins in seven SAA patients treated with standard IST and a thrombopoietin receptor agonist. From our analysis, 19 serum and 28 plasma proteins were identified as possible candidate diagnostic and prognostic markers. A custom immunobead-based multiplex assay with five selected serum proteins (BMP-10, CCL17, DKK1, HGF, and SELL) was used for validation in a verification set (n = 65) of samples obtained before and after IST and in a blinded validation cohort at baseline (n = 16). After technical validation, four biomarkers were employed to predict diagnosis (accuracy, 88%) and long-term response to IST (accuracy, 79%). In conclusion, SOMAscan is a powerful tool for the identification of new biomarkers. We propose further larger studies to validate new candidate serum and plasma diagnostic and prognostic markers of AA.
Lessons from nature for green science and technology: an overview and bioinspired superliquiphobic/philic surfaces

Nature has developed materials, objects and processes that function from the macroscale to the nanoscale. The emerging field of biomimetics allows one to mimic biology or nature to develop nanomaterials, nanodevices and processes which provide desirable properties. The biologically inspired materials and structured surfaces are being explored for various commercial applications. These should have minimum human impact on the environment, leading to eco-friendly or green science and technology. There are a large number of flora and fauna including bacteria, plants, land and aquatic animals, and seashells with properties of commercial interest. The paper presents an overview of the general field of biomimetics followed by a detailed overview of mechanisms, fabrication techniques and characterization of superliquiphobic/philic surfaces and their applications. This article is part of the theme issue 'Bioinspired materials and surfaces for green science and technology'.
Infusing Physical Activity Leadership Training in PETE Programs Through University–School Partnerships: Principals’ and Graduate Students’ Experiences

With the emerging trend of physical education teacher education (PETE) programs incorporating Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program (CSPAP) training to prepare preservice teachers and future teacher educators to be competent Physical Activity Leaders (PAL), little is known about the feasibility of such programs. Therefore, this study examined graduate students’ (future teacher educators) and principals’ experiences implementing CSPAPs through a university–school partnership model. Six graduate students served as PALs in elementary schools. Focus group discussions at 6 months and interviews at 1 year were conducted with the PALs, while 4 principals participated in individual interviews at the end of Year 1. The audio-recorded data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed inductively. Both PALs and principals experienced challenges in implementing other components of CSPAPs beyond physical education mainly due to time constraints. Collaboration and rapport building with school staff would aid in the implementation of CSPAPs. Continual feedback and supervision could improve the graduate students’ skills in performing their roles as PALs in schools. As PETE programs across the United States are finding ways to prepare students to be competent PALs, this study provides valuable information for challenges and future considerations for CSPAP infusion in PETE programs. Subscribe to TPE
Experimental Analysis of a Gossip-Based Service for Scalable, Distributed Failure Detection and Consensus

Gossip protocols and services provide a means by which failures can be detected in large, distributed systems in an asynchronous manner without the limits associated with reliable multicasting for group communications. Extending the gossip protocol such that a system reaches consensus on detected faults can be performed via a flat structure, or it can be hierarchically distributed across cooperating layers of nodes. In this paper, the performance of gossip services employing flat and hierarchical schemes is analyzed on an experimental testbed in terms of consensus time, resource utilization and scalability. Performance associated with a hierarchically arranged gossip scheme is analyzed with varying group sizes and is shown to scale well. Resource utilization of the gossip-style failure detection and consensus service is measured in terms of network bandwidth utilization and CPU utilization. Analytical models are developed for resource utilization and performance projections are made for large system sizes.
Construction and Testing of Novel Designs of Resistive Plate Chambers

Resistive Plate Chambers (RPCs) exhibit a significant loss of efficiency for the detection of particles, when subjected to high particle fluxes. This rate limitation is related to the usually high resistivity of the resistive plates used in their construction. Here we report on the measurements of the performance of various different glass RPC designs featuring a different total resistance of the resistive plates.In parallel, a novel design of RPC, using only a single resistive plate, was developed and tested. Based on this design, large size prototype chambers were constructed and were tested with cosmic rays and in particle beams. The tests confirmed the viability of this new approach.
Virtual network mapping for multicast requests over elastic optical networks

Virtualization is becoming a promising method for supporting various emerging applications, and achieving efficient embedding of virtual requests in elastic optical networks (EONs) has become a popular issue in network virtualization research. Meanwhile, multicast request mapping of EONs has become more challenging than that of conventional optical networks. Since the problem of minimizing the embedding cost and redundant transmission in multicast request embedding is NP-hard, we propose an efficient heuristic algorithm, called the virtual optical multicast-tree embedding algorithm based on the node correlation degree (VOME-NCD) to address the problem of low transmission redundancy. When embedding the virtual optical multicast request, it is based on the mapping of the correlation degree of each virtual node. Through extensive simulations, we demonstrate that VOME-NCD outperforms other embedding solutions in terms of the embedding cost, blocking probability, redundancy cost, and router hop count.
Efficacy of endovascular Z-configuration stenting for malignant versus nonmalignant caval obstruction.

Abstract Objective The objective of this study was to assess factors associated with symptom resolution after endovascular stenting for superior or inferior vena cava syndrome. Methods Eighty-six consecutive vena cava Z-configuration stent placements in 82 patients (53 ± 14 years old) at a single institution were reviewed for patient demographics, comorbidities, and durability of stent patency (also evaluated were persistent or recurrent symptoms, stent occlusion, and need for repeated stenting). Logistic regression was used to identify independent factors associated with stent patency, and Φ coefficients and analysis of variance were used to compare cases subdivided by lesion location (superior vena cava, inferior vena cava) and the presence or absence of malignant disease. Results Clinical follow-up was available in 77 of 86 (90%) cases. Technical success with clinical failure (persistent symptoms) occurred in 40% of these cases with a median follow-up of 67 (interquartile range, 14-570) days and mortality rate of 63% during this period. Malignant obstructions had a significantly higher clinical failure rate of 54% compared with 15% for nonmalignant obstructions (Φ = 0.34; P = .002). However, only metastatic disease was independently associated with clinical failure when controlling for demographics, other comorbidities, and differential follow-up (adjusted odds ratio, 8.27; 95% confidence interval, 2.79-24.50). Conclusions Vena cava Z-stenting effectively resolves symptoms in 85% of nonmalignant obstructions compared with only 46% of malignant obstructions. Patients should be counseled accordingly, and those with malignant obstructions may require closer follow-up to evaluate the need for reintervention and goals of care.
Participation in a Substance Misuse Intervention in Post-acute Care Is Associated With More Optimal Rehabilitation Outcomes

Background and objectives Alcohol and substance misuse is prevalent among older adults, yet underdiagnosed and undertreated. More substance misuse intervention programs specifically designed for older adults and offered in various settings are needed. This project's objectives were to (a) provide a detailed description of a Geriatric Substance Abuse Recovery Program (GSARP) designed and implemented at post-acute rehabilitation units of a skilled nursing facility and (b) report findings of a study conducted to evaluate if GSARP participation among post-acute care patients with substance misuse issues can optimize rehabilitation outcomes (i.e., being discharged home vs. another setting). Research design and methods A pretest-posttest study design with data obtained from patients' electronic medical record upon facility admission, during post-acute stay, and after discharge (N = 271). Based on Andersen's model of health care utilization, we investigated which predisposing factors (e.g., ethnicity), enabling factors (e.g., cognition and social support), and need-related factors (e.g., activities of daily living functioning), as well as health behaviors (e.g., GSARP participation) predicted likelihood of being discharged home versus another discharge setting. Results Patients participating in the GSARP and patients who received social support from family members and friends during their post-acute stay were more likely to be discharged home. Patients with severe cognitive impairment were less likely to be discharged home. Discussion and implications The GSARP eliminates some common barriers often encountered in the screening and delivery process of substance misuse interventions for older adults. Findings support the effectiveness of the GSARP in optimizing rehabilitation outcomes for older adults with substance misuse issues.
NEW INSIGHTS INTO THE SPECTRAL VARIABILITY AND PHYSICAL CONDITIONS OF THE X-RAY ABSORBERS IN NGC 4151

We investigate the relationship between the long-term X-ray spectral variability in the Seyfert 1.5 galaxy NGC 4151 and its intrinsic absorption, by comparing the 2014 simultaneous ultraviolet/X-ray observations taken with Hubble STIS Echelle and Chandra HETGS with archival observations from Chandra, XMM-Newton, and Suzaku. The observations are divided into "high" and "low" states, with the low states showing strong and unabsorbed extended emission at energies below 2 keV. Our X-ray model consists of a broken powerlaw, neutral reflection, and the two dominant absorption components identified by Kraemer et al. (2005, hereafter KRA2005) X-High and D+Ea, which are present in all epochs. The model fittings suggest that the absorbers are very stable, with the principal changes in the intrinsic absorption resulting from variations in the ionization state of the gas as the ionizing continuum varies. However, the low states show evidence of larger column densities in one or both of the absorbers. Among plausible explanations for the column increase, we discuss the possibility of an expanding/contracting X-ray corona. As suggested by KRA2005, there seem to be contributions from magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) winds to the mass outflow. Along with the ultra-fast outflow absorber identified by Tombesi et al. (2010), X-High is consistent with being magnetically driven. On the other hand, it is unlikely that D+Ea is part of the MHD flow, and it is possible that it is radiatively accelerated. These results suggest that at a sufficiently large radial distance there is a break point between MHD-dominated and radiatively driven outflows.
Synthetic dimensions in ultracold polar molecules

Synthetic dimensions alter one of the most fundamental properties in nature, the dimension of space. They allow, for example, a real three-dimensional system to act as effectively four-dimensional. Driven by such possibilities, synthetic dimensions have been engineered in ongoing experiments with ultracold matter. We show that rotational states of ultracold molecules can be used as synthetic dimensions extending to many – potentially hundreds of – synthetic lattice sites. Microwaves coupling rotational states drive fully controllable synthetic inter-site tunnelings, enabling, for example, topological band structures. Interactions leads to even richer behavior: when molecules are frozen in a real space lattice with uniform synthetic tunnelings, dipole interactions cause the molecules to aggregate to a narrow strip in the synthetic direction beyond a critical interaction strength, resulting in a quantum string or a membrane, with an emergent condensate that lives on this string or membrane. All these phases can be detected using local measurements of rotational state populations.
Abstract 14785: The Reactive Lipid Mediators Isolevuglandins Promote Atrial Fibrillation Mediated by Inflammation

Introduction: Inflammation and oxidative stress are linked to multiple risk factors for atrial fibrillation (AF), and to AF itself in the setting of sterile injury (e.g. after catheter ablation or ...
Variability of the Surface Area of the V1, V2, and V3 Maps in a Large Sample of Human Observers

How variable is the functionally-defined structure of early visual areas in human cortex and how much variability is shared between twins? Here we quantify individual differences in the best understood functionally-defined regions of cortex: V1, V2, V3. The Human Connectome Project includes retinotopic measurements from 181 subjects, most of whom are twins. We trained four "anatomists" to manually define V1-V3 using retinotopic features. These definitions were more accurate than automated anatomical templates and showed that surface areas for these maps varied more than three-fold across individuals. The cortical magnification function also differed substantially among individuals: the relative amount of cortex devoted to central vision varied by more than a factor of 2. Whereas our twin sample sizes were too small to make precise heritability estimates (50 monozygotic pairs, 34 dizygotic), they nonetheless reveal high correlations, consistent with strong effects of the combination of shared genes and environment on visual area size. In V1, intraclass correlations of surface area between twin pairs were 84% and 68% for monozygotic and dizygotic pairs, respectively. The correlations were also high for V2 (81%, 73%) and V3 (75%, 43%). A trend for higher monozygotic than dizygotic size correlations, as well as greater similarity in map properties amongst monozygotic twins, suggest that visual area size and topography are partly genetically determined. Collectively, these results comprise the most accurate account of individual variability in visual area structure to date, and provide a robust population benchmark against which new individuals and developmental and clinical populations can be compared.
A Commercial Law of Privacy and Security for the Internet of Things

In the Internet of Things (IoT) era, online activities are no longer limited to desktop or laptop computers, smartphones and tablets. Instead, these activities now include ordinary tasks, such as using an internet-connected refrigerator or washing machine. At the same time, the IoT provides unlimited opportunities for household objects to serve as surveillance devices that continually monitor, collect and process vast quantities of our data. In this work, Stacy-Ann Elvy critically examines the consumer ramifications of the IoT through the lens of commercial law and privacy and security law. The book provides concrete legal solutions to remedy inadequacies in the law that will help usher in a more robust commercial law of privacy and security that protects consumer interests.
Universal patterns of radio-frequency heating in nanomaterial-loaded structures

Abstract Here we report radio frequency (RF) heating patterns that may be generalized across a wide range of nanomaterial-loaded materials. We used experiments and simulation to show that the heating rates are non-monotonically related with the conductivity of the materials. A major finding is that the maximum heating rate occurs at an optimum DC surface conductivity that is the same for thin films made using carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofibers, and laser-induced graphene. We also determine that this maximum heating is closely associated with the percolation threshold in a given structure. We show similar patterns for nano-filled thick thermoplastic parts as well. These findings can be used to optimize RF heating by tuning the bulk dielectric properties of the nanomaterial structures. Optimization of RF heating would lead to enhanced efficiency in RF-based material processing techniques being developed for automotive, aerospace, and additive manufacturing industries.
Health Correlates of Intimate Partner Violence and Help-seeking Among Unauthorized Immigrant Women.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) research on immigrant women who are unauthorized is particularly scarce, despite unique vulnerabilities associated with their documentation status that may impact he...
Probing the plasmon-driven Suzuki–Miyaura coupling reactions with cargo-TERS towards tailored catalysis

We present a label-free approach that is based on tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) for a direct in situ assessment of the molecular reactivity in plasmon-driven reactions. Using this analytical approach, named cargo-TERS, we investigate the relationship between the chemical structure of aromatic halides and the catalytic probability of the Suzuki–Miyaura coupling reaction on gold–palladium bimetallic nanoplates (Au@PdNPs). We demonstrate that cargo-TERS can be used to quantify the yield of biphenyl-4,4′-dithiol (BPDT), the product of the coupling reaction. Our results also show that the halide reactivity decreases from bromo through chloro to fluorohalides. Finally, we employ this novel imaging technique to unravel the nanoscale reactivity and selectivity of Au@PdNPs. We find that the edges and corners of these nanostructures exhibit the highest catalytic reactivity, while the flat terraces of Au@PdNPs remain catalytically inactive.
Fast and Feature-Complete Differentiable Physics Engine for Articulated Rigid Bodies with Contact Constraints

We present a fast and feature-complete differentiable physics engine, Nimble (nimblephysics.org), that supports Lagrangian dynamics and hard contact constraints for articulated rigid body simulation. Our differentiable physics engine offers a complete set of features that are typically only available in non-differentiable physics simulators commonly used by robotics applications. We solve contact constraints precisely using linear complementarity problems (LCPs). We present efficient and novel analytical gradients through the LCP formulation of inelastic contact that exploit the sparsity of the LCP solution. We support complex contact geometry, and gradients approximating continuous-time elastic collision. We also introduce a novel method to compute complementarity-aware gradients that help downstream optimization tasks avoid stalling in saddle points. We show that an implementation of this combination in an existing physics engine (DART) is capable of a 87x single-core speedup over finite-differencing in computing analytical Jacobians for a single timestep, while preserving all the expressiveness of original DART.
Sustainability and Design Ethics

Why Does Prometheus Suffer? Sustainability and Design Why Sustainability Is Needed Notes Professional Ethics What Is a Profession? Evaluating Codes of Ethics Sustainability and the Ethical Challenges for Designers Endnotes Bibliography Is There an Ethical Obligation to Act Sustainably? Theories of Ethics What Obligations Do We Have to Other Living Things? Utilitarian Views of Nature Speciesism Who Owns the Environment? Role of Professional Standards Endnotes The Design Professional and Organizations Balancing Obligation and Opportunity The Descent of Corporate Obligation Justification for a Whistle-Blower Endnotes The Choice for Sustainability The Design Professional as Leader Sustainability and Obligation Sustainability and Design Ethics Endnotes The Precautionary Principle and Design Moral Underpinnings of the Precautionary Principle Precautionary Principle and Design What Do We Owe the Future? Duty to Prevent Harm Precaution and Design Endnotes Flourishing What Ought We to Do? Designer as Teacher Design Values Designer as Student Endnotes
Quantum Efficiency of Detectors for Visible and Infrared Radiation

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the quantum efficiency of detectors for visible and infrared radiation. Nearly all kinds of quantum efficiency relate to responsivity and are accordingly called “responsive quantum efficiency”. However, there is one kind of quantum efficiency, called “detective quantum efficiency,” which is of particular importance in connection with the detecting ability of detectors. The definition of the detective quantum efficiency involves the concept of “ambient radiation.” In this chapter, concepts of responsive and detective quantum efficiency are also explained. Two kinds of non-image-forming detectors—photoemissive tubes and photoconductive cells—are also discussed, and this is followed by the discussion of three kinds of image-forming detectors —television camera tubes, photographic negatives, and human vision. The chapter discusses responsive quantum efficiency, detective quantum efficiency, detectivity and contrast detectivity, photoemissive tubes, photoconductive cells, television camera tubes, photographic negatives, and the human eye.
Pharmacological inhibition of lipid peroxidation attenuates calpain‐mediated cytoskeletal degradation after traumatic brain injury

Free radical-induced lipid peroxidation (LP) is critical in the evolution of secondary injury following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Previous studies in our laboratory demonstrated that U-83836E, a potent LP inhibitor, can reduce post-TBI LP along with an improved maintenance of mouse cortical mitochondrial bioenergetics and calcium (Ca(2+)) buffering following severe (1.0 mm; 3.5 m/s) controlled cortical impact TBI (CCI-TBI). Based upon this preservation of a major Ca(2+) homeostatic mechanism, we have now performed dose-response and therapeutic window analyses of the ability of U-83836E to reduce post-traumatic calpain-mediated cytoskeletal (α-spectrin) proteolysis in ipsilateral cortical homogenates at its 24 h post-TBI peak. In the dose-response analysis, mice were treated with a single i.v. dose of vehicle or U-83836E (0.1, 0.3, 1.3, 3.0, 10.0 or 30.0 mg/kg) at 15 min after injury. U-83836E produced a dose-related attenuation of α-spectrin degradation with the maximal decrease being achieved at 3.0 mg/kg. Next, the therapeutic window was tested by delaying the single 3 mg/kg i.v. dose from 15 min post-injury out to 1, 3, 6 or 12 h. No reduction in α-spectrin degradation was observed when the treatment delay was 1 h or longer. However, in a third experiment, we re-examined the window with repeated U-83836E dosing (3.0 mg/kg i.v. followed by 10 mg/kg i.p. maintenance doses at 1 and 3 h after the initial i.v. dose) which significantly reduced 24 h α-α-spectrin degradation even when treatment initiation was withheld until 12 h post-TBI. These results demonstrate the relationship between post-TBI LP, disruptions in neuronal Ca(2+) homeostasis and calpain-mediated cytoskeletal damage.
The Moral and Organizational Implications of Cheating in College

INTRODUCTION Cheating by college students is endemic. According to some studies, as many as three-fourths of students resort to academic dishonesty at some point in their college careers. Many higher education scholars attribute this phenomenon to shortcomings in students’ character and moral development. Students themselves, not unexpectedly, view the issue in a different light. A number of studies have shown that many either do not regard cheating as morally wrong or believe that circumstances excuse it.
Geräte für die Bodenverdichtung

Das Ziel der Bodenverdichtung ist, die mit Luft und Wasser angereicherten Hohlraume eines Bodens zu verringern oder ganz zu schliesen. Dies verbessert die Tragfahigkeit des Erdreichs und verhindert spatere Setzungen. Zum Einsatz kommen Vibrationsstampfer, Vibrationsplatten und Vibrationswalzen. Bei dieser dynamischen Verdichtung wird der Boden durch Vibration so angeregt, dass eine Kornumlagerung in eine dichtere Position stattfindet. Vibrationsplatten und Vibrationsstampfer werden fur kleinere Verdichtungsarbeiten verwendet, wahrend zum Verdichten groser Flachen Walzen von Vorteil sind. Vibrationswalzen konnen mit einer kontrollierten Verdichtungsmessung und Dokumentation ausgerustet werden. Erzielt wird damit eine gleichmasigere Verdichtung und eine Reduzierung der Walzubergange auf das Notwendige.
A Multiview Image Acquisition System for Postal Parcels

A multiview system that can simultaneously acquire both range and intensity images of all surfaces of a parcel is described. This system consists of five 2048 element linear cameras that obtain intensity images, and four triangulation ranging systems arranged to view all surfaces of a parcel moving on a conveyor belt. The spatial resolution of the intensity images is 136 pixels per inch, with eight bits of grey level, while the resolution of the ranging system is 17 range elements per inch.
Velocity-weighting to prevent controller-induced hypoglycemia in MPC of an artificial pancreas to treat T1DM

The design of a Model Predictive Control (MPC) strategy for the closed-loop operation of an Artificial Pancreas (AP) to treat type 1 diabetes mellitus is considered. The contribution of this paper is to propose a velocity-weighting mechanism, within an MPC problem's cost function, that facilitates penalizing predicted hyperglycemic blood-glucose excursions based on the predicted blood-glucose levels' rates of change. The method provides the control designer some freedom for independently shaping the AP's uphill versus downhill responses to hyperglycemic excursions; of particular emphasis in this paper is the downhill response. The proposal aims to tackle the dangerous issue of controller-induced hypoglycemia following large hyperglycemic excursions, e.g., after meals, that results in part due to the large delays of subcutaneous glucose sensing and subcutaneous insulin infusion - the case considered here. The efficacy of the proposed approach is demonstrated using the University of Virginia/Padova metabolic simulator with both unannounced and announced meal scenarios.
Molecular Weight of Two States of Cytochrome c Oxidase

Abstract Cytochrome oxidase, as prepared by the Yonetani method, is shown to have a molecular weight of 200,000 (±5%). At alkaline pH (from pH 9.5 to 11, 0.01 m phosphate, 0.1% nonionic detergent) the enzyme dissociates to a monomer species with a molecular weight of 100,000 (±5%). Qualitative results are presented to show that the rate of conversion of dimer to monomer is slow but strongly pH dependent. Between pH 9.5 and 10.5 a mixture of monomer and dimer is obtained when incubation at 4° is relatively short (≤10 hours), but the conversion is essentially complete upon standing at pH 10.5 for 24 hours. Although monomer preparations can be obtained which appear to be mono-disperse from Archibald studies, the dimer isolated at neutral pH contains a small and probably variable amount of the monomer.
Defining the Limit of Embryonic Heart Regeneration

Cardiomyocyte replacement has been the focus of intense research because of the significant burden of heart failure. Although the adult mammalian heart is nonregenerative, recent studies have demonstrated that it retains a modest degree of cardiomyocyte turnover throughout life, mediated primarily by the proliferation of preexisting cardiomyocytes.1,2 In contrast to the adult heart, the neonatal mammalian heart possesses a remarkable regenerative ability in the first few days of life mediated by the proliferation of preexisting cardiomyocytes, after which cardiomyocytes permanently exit the cell cycle, and the regenerative ability of the heart is lost.3,4 Importantly, the embryonic mammalian heart also possesses a remarkable regenerative ability. Embryonic cardiomyocyte replacement studies were previously reported by the Cox5 and Torres6 groups. The Cox group showed that compensatory growth of cardiomyocytes occurred following cardiomyocyte ablation with the use of a holocytochrome c synthase–deficient model, whereas the Torres group demonstrated that cell competition promotes the silent exchange of cardiomyocytes without heart failure. Although these studies demonstrated that the fetal and early postnatal myocardium is capable of significant …
Review of The Library: An Illustrated History

One of the treasures of being a librarian is the opportunity to come into contact with wonderful new books and, occasionally, find the time to read one. The Library: An Illustrated History is one o...
In vivo muscarinic binding selectivity of (R,S)- and (R,R)-[18F]-fluoromethyl QNB.

Abstract We have developed a multistep radiochemical synthesis of two diastereomers of quinuclidinyl-4-[ 18 F]-fluoromethylbenzilate ([ 18 F]-FMeQNB), a high-affinity ligand for muscarinic acetylcholine receptors. Previously, we have shown that the nonradioactive ( R , R )-diastereomer displays an eightfold selectivity for M1 over M2 while the nonradioactive ( R , S )-diastereomer displays a sevenfold selectivity for M2 over M1 in vitro. This paper reports the results of in vivo comparison studies. In the rat, uptake of (R,S)- [ 18 F]-FMeQNB was nearly uniform in all brain regions following the concentration of M2 subtype. The uptake was reduced by 36–54% in all brain regions on coinjection with 50 nmol of unlabeled ligand. An injection of (R,S)- [ 18 F]-FMeQNB followed at 60 min by injection of unlabeled ligand and subsequent sacrifice at 120 min displaced 30–50% of radioactivity in the pons, medulla, and cerebellum, which contain a high proportion of M2 subtype. The most dramatic displacement and inhibition of uptake on coinjection of (R,S)- [ 18 F]-FMeQNB was observed in the heart. In rhesus monkey, the compound showed prolonged uptake and retention in the brain. In the blood, the parent compound degraded rapidly to a single radiolabeled polar metabolite believed to be fluoride. Within 30 min the parent compound represented less than 5% of the plasma activity. Displacement with ( R )-QNB was generally slow, but was more rapid from those tissues which contain a higher proportion of M2 subtype. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that (R,S)- [ 18 F]-FMeQNB is M2 selective in vivo. On the other hand, (R,R)- [ 18 F]-FMeQNB showed higher uptake in those brain regions containing a higher concentration of M1 subtype. Uptake in the heart at 60 min was much lower than that observed with the ( R , S )-diastereomer. Inhibition of uptake on coinjection with unlabeled ( R , S )-FMeQNB is only significant in the heart, thalamus, and pons. Inhibition of uptake on coinjection with unlabeled ( R , R )-FMeQNB is quite uniform in all brain regions. Displacement with ( R )-QNB shows a more varying amount displaced. These results are consistent with (R,R)- [ 18 F]-FMeQNB being M1 selective in vivo.
Integration of U-Net into Windows/NT

U-Net provides user-level network access such that applications can send and receive messages without operating system intervention on every send and receive. The network is exposed to applications as a pair of transmit and receive buffer queues. Depending on the sophistication of the network interface hardware, these queues are serviced directly in hardware or via interrupt handlers and fast traps. A number of implementations of U-Net exist for Unix workstations connected to ATM and Fast Ethernet networks. This talk will present our experience in moving U-Net from Unix to Windows/NT and in allowing the operating system to demand-page network buffers.
Blundering into Baghdad: an analysis of strategy, structure, principals and agents

Some postmortems of the Bush Administration's pre-Iraq war decision-making have focused on a dysfunctional National Security Council (NSC) structure as the major reason for the lack of a thorough strategic assessment prior to the March 2003 invasion. Other academic and journalistic accounts have focused on a lack of a first rate conceptual thinker at the top levels of the Bush Administration as an important cause of the strategic shortcomings in Iraq decision-making. This article will assess the relative impact of decision-making structure versus quality of strategic leadership in explaining poor performance in the first five years of the Iraq war.