cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A closed form solution for the impact analysis of elastic ellipsoidal thin shells

Abstract In this paper the impact of a hollow elastic ellipsoidal thin shell with an elastic flat half space is analyzed. Due to the nonlinearity and complexity of the impact equation, classical numerical solutions cannot be employed. A closed-form solution for this problem is accomplished, using Hertzian theory [6] and the Vella ’ s analysis [17] in conjunction with the Newtonian method and a linearization scheme. The closed-form solution facilitates a parametric study of this problem. In next step, the closed-form analytical solution is validated by other research studies and explicit finite element method. Good agreement between the closed-form solution and other numerical results is observed. Based on the closed-form solution the maximum total deformation of the shell, the maximum transmitted force and the time duration of the contact were determined. The variations of the total deflection and the transmitted force as a function of the shell thickness and the different geometry of the shell were also determined. Finally it is concluded that the closed form equations are trustworthy and appropriate to investigate the impact of elastic ellipsoidal shells.
App vetting systems: Issues and challenges

• App vetting is the process of approving or rejecting an app prior to deployment on a mobile device. • The decision to approve or reject an app is based on the organization's security requirements and the type and severity of security vulnerabilities found in the app. • Security vulnerabilities including Cross Site Scripting (XSS), information leakage, authentication and authorization, session management, and SQL injection can be exploited to steal information or control a device.
Models of Migration Decision Making Reexamined: The Destination Search of Older Migrants to Cape Cod

This paper explores variation in the scope of the destination search among a group of retirement migrants to Cape Cod, Massachusetts in terms of three factors: distance between origin and destination, previous place experience with the destination, and the presence of friends and family at the destination. The first two factors significantly restricted the search for potential destinations, but the third did not. These findings suggest the need to reevaluate accepted models of elderly migrants' decision making, which often distinguish between the decision to move and the selection of a destination.
Discussion: The Organization of Agriculture

Variants and Invariants in Comparative Agricultural Systems Dovring's paper on first reading is, I fear, a bit puzzling. Although he has much to say of value on a wide range of issues, it is sometimes difficult to follow his train of thought or to determine what his overall point is. The reasons may be twofold: His writing style tends to be baroque, and there is a failure to add up the sometimes exceptional parts into a clear theme. To the extent that this occurs, it is unfortunate, because with a second and third reading, many valuable nuggets concerning the organization of agriculture begin to surface. Dovring has an extraordinary knowledge of the economic history of agriculture and is well abreast of contemporary problems. His writings are seldom without factual or conceptual reward. The returns from this particular paper, however, are more apt to be intellectual than applied in nature. This is particularly true for one who, like me, is involved in international agricultural development programs. Dovring's historical analysis tends to be based heavily on Europe and the United States and is perhaps more relevant to those nations than to some of the current problems of the less developed countries. Let me now turn to some specific comments. I should like to note both points of agreement and disagreement, but time scarcely allows both; instead, I shall follow custom and briefly question a few points.
The competitive environment for agricultural bankers in the US

A survey of agricultural banks in the US identified several important competitive challenges for credit providers to agriculture. The importance of various factors to customer loyalty is investigated, as is the importance of various potential products and services toward maintaining a competitive agricultural lending position in future. Bankers stressed the importance of maintaining good, long term relationships with borrowers to future competitiveness. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Ear Laterality Performance of Children from Low and Middle Socioeconomic Levels on a Verbal Dichotic Listening Task

Summary The present investigation compared the ear laterality performance of children four to seven years from low and middle socioeconomic levels on a dichotic digits task. The results of this study confirmed earlier evidence that children as early as age four were capable of recalling digits presented to the right ear more accurately than those presented to the left ear. Such right ear superiority was demonstrated by four, five, six and seven year old cildren from the middle socioeconomic level, and by seven year old children from the low socioeconomic level. Thus, children from lower socioeconomic areas manifested a right ear effect to a lesser degree and at a later age than did their middle class counterparts. A preference to report the right ear first was observed for middle socioeconomic level children. Although children from the lower socioeconomic level demonstrated a similar preference at a later age, this finding was not significant. There was no significant difference between sexes on the test, although at age four girls showed the greatest mean difference relative to boys. The findings were discussed in relation to the possible factors that might account for the comparative performance between socioeconomic groups.
Synthesis of hexahydro 1,3,5‐triCarbalkoxy‐s‐triazines, octahydro‐1,3,5,7‐tetracarbalkoxy tetrazocines and their interconvertibility

The condensations of urethanes with formaldehyde under appropriate experimental conditions affords either 1,3,5-triazines or 1,3,5,7-tetrazoeines. The two systems are interconvertible under acid catalysis.
RACE AND CRIME IN POSTWAR AMERICA: DETERMINANTS OF AFRICAN‐AMERICAN AND WHITE RATES, 1957–1988*

The idea that crime and deviance are explained mostly by access to opportunities—especially those provided by employment, income, education, and family stability—is one of the most powerful assumptions about crime in postwar America. However, despite its importance, the actual relationship between opportunity measures and crime during this period remains little understood. while cross-sectional studies of these issues have become common, few longitudinal studies exist and those that do include a limited number of variables. Moreover, despite important differences in the history and experiences of African-Americans and whites during this period, researchers have assumed similar dynamics by race. In this paper, we use annual time-series data from 1957–1988 to examine the effects of economic well-being, educational attainment, and family stability on rates of robbery, burglary, and homicide for blacks and whites. Our results show that these measures have different—usually opposite—effects on black and white crime rates during the period. In general, measures of opportunity have expected effects on white but not black rates. We consider the implications for policy and research.
Quantum dynamics of complex-forming bimolecular reactions

Many gas-phase chemical reactions proceed via reaction intermediates, supported by potential wells. The characteristics of such complex-forming reactions differ drastically from those for direct reactions that involve barriers. For example, the reaction path for a complex-forming reaction is often barrierless, which results in weak and sometimes negative temperature dependence for its rate constant. The product angular and internal distributions of such reactions also bear clear signatures. Specifically, the angular distribution (i.e. differential cross-section) of a complex-forming reaction is often dominated by scattering in the forward and backward directions, and the product rotational state distribution usually peaks near the highest accessible rotational state, while vibrational state distribution often decays monotonically. While the quantum dynamics of direct reactions is well established, our understanding of complex-forming reactions is still far from complete. Given the importance of such react...
Oxidative Group Transfer to Co(I) Affords a Terminal Co(III) Imido Complex

The synthesis of the first terminal imido complex of cobalt, [PhBP3]CoN-p-tolyl, is reported. Its synthesis proceeds by oxidative group transfer from cobalt(I) upon addition of tolyl azide at room temperature. This species and a related η1-diazoalkane adduct have been structurally characterized. The diamagnetic imido complex [PhBP3]CoN-p-tolyl reacts with CO to liberate isocyanate and the cobalt(I) dicarbonyl complex [PhBP_(3)]Co(CO)_(2).
Experimental Study of Mode II Fracture of Hybrid Composite and Metal-Wire Joints

In order to join a composite structure to a metallic structure, metal-wire mats were co-cured with composite laminas using the Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer Molding (VARTM) technique. Then, interface fracture toughness was measured for Mode II fracture for various lay-up and interface conditions. The study included interfaces of metal-wire to composite, composite to composite, and metal-wire to metal-wire. In addition, the lay-up orientations of metal-wire mats were either 0 or 90 degrees. The study also examined the crack propagation from a composite to a metal/composite interface. During the test, the digital image correlation technique was applied to capture the strain field around the crack tip. The results suggested that a hybrid metal-wire/composite laminate would be effective to connect a composite structure to a metallic structure as long as some critical interface conditions were avoided.
Electron Beam Computed Tomographic Angiography and 3-Dimensional Reconstruction of a Stented Saphenous Vein Graft

A 70-year-old man with exertional angina presented for cardiac catheterization. The past medical history was significant for coronary artery bypass graft surgery in 1984 with placement of a left internal mammary artery (LIMA) graft to the left anterior descending coronary artery and a single saphenous vein …
Video to VGA and back

Converting a standard analog television signal into a digital component video or computer graphics format entails: clock and sync acquisition, color reference acquisition, sampling and quantization, filtering, linear algebra, and quadrature demodulation. The paper traces a high performance video decoding algorithm and maps it to the architecture of a cost-effective new mixed-signal integrated circuit set from Raytheon Semiconductor. >
A C-terminal Sequence in the Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factor Sec7 Mediates Golgi Association and Interaction with the Rsp5 Ubiquitin Ligase

Arf GTPases control vesicle formation from different intracellular membranes and are regulated by Arf guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs). Outside of their conserved catalytic domains, known as Sec7 domains, little is known about Arf GEFs. Rsp5 is a yeast ubiquitin ligase that regulates numerous membrane trafficking events and carries a C2 domain that is specifically required for trans-Golgi network to vacuole transport. In a screen for proteins that interact with the Rsp5 C2 domain we identified Sec7, the GEF that acts on Golgi-associated Arfs. The Rsp5-Sec7 interaction is direct, occurs in vivo, and is conserved among mammalian Rsp5 and Sec7 homologues. A 50-amino acid region near the Sec7 C terminus is required for Rsp5 binding and for normal Sec7 localization. Binding of Sec7 to Rsp5 is dependent on the presence of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase Vps34, suggesting that phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate (PI(3)P) plays a role in regulating this interaction. Overexpression of Sec7 significantly suppresses the growth and sorting defects of an rsp5 C2 domain point mutant. These observations identify a new functional region within the Sec7/BIG family of Arf GEFs that is required for trans-Golgi network localization.
Alterations in hepatic glucose and energy metabolism as a result of calorie and carbohydrate restriction

Carbohydrate restriction is a common weight-loss approach that modifies hepatic metabolism by increasing gluconeogenesis (GNG) and ketosis. Because little is known about the effect of carbohydrate restriction on the origin of gluconeogenic precursors (GNG from glycerol [GNGglycerol] and GNG from lactate/amino acids [GNGphosphoenolpyruvate {PEP}]) or its consequence to hepatic energy homeostasis, we studied these parameters in a group of overweight/obese subjects undergoing weight-loss via dietary restriction. We used 2H and 13C tracers and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to measure the sources of hepatic glucose and tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle flux in weight-stable subjects (n = 7) and subjects following carbohydrate restriction (n = 7) or calorie restriction (n = 7). The majority of hepatic glucose production in carbohydrate restricted subjects came from GNGPEP. The contribution of glycerol to GNG was similar in all groups despite evidence of increased fat oxidation in carbohydrate restricted subjects. A strong correlation between TCA cycle flux and GNGPEP was found, though the reliance on TCA cycle energy production for GNG was attenuated in subjects undergoing carbohydrate restriction. Together, these data imply that the TCA cycle is the energetic patron of GNG. However, the relationship between these two pathways is modified by carbohydrate restriction, suggesting an increased reliance of the hepatocyte on energy generated outside of the TCA cycle when GNGPEP is maximal. Conclusion: Carbohydrate restriction modifies hepatic GNG by increasing reliance on substrates like lactate or amino acids but not glycerol. This modification is associated with a reorganization of hepatic energy metabolism suggestive of enhanced hepatic β-oxidation. (HEPATOLOGY 2008;48:1487–1496.)
Pediatric DNAR orders in the perioperative period

Do not attempt resuscitation (DNAR) orders are a formal expression of the intention to refrain from resuscitation. Since their inception in 1974, such orders have become widely accepted within the hospital setting. However, their acceptance in theatres where anesthesia may cause cardiovascular instability, outcomes from cardiac arrest are improved and when there is a cross-over of techniques between anesthetic practice and resuscitation, has been more problematic. In order to ascertain the opinions on DNAR orders in the perioperative period, a questionnaire was sent to all consultant members of the Association of Paediatric Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland, which asked about DNAR orders, resuscitation under anesthesia and included a number of case studies. Of the 280 respondents, 160 (57.1%) agreed that an anesthetist could alter the order in the perioperative period with 41 (14.6%) stating that they would always suspend such an order. Most anesthetists agreed that they would discuss DNAR orders during their preoperative assessment but could not agree as to which interventions constituted normal anesthetic practice as opposed to resuscitation. At present, there is variation in practice between pediatric anesthetists over suspension of DNAR orders in the perioperative period and no specific guidelines to refer to. We suggest that guidelines be produced and that these should take into account the work that has already taken place and guidelines published by other anesthetic communities.
Recent Developments in Extremal Combinatorics: Ramsey and Turan Type Problems

Extremal combinatorics is one of the central branches of discrete mathematics and has experienced an impressive growth during the last few decades. It deals with the problem of determining or estimating the maximum or minimum possible size of a combinatorial structure which satisfies certain requirements. Often such problems are related to other areas including theoretical computer science, geometry, information theory, harmonic analysis and number theory. In this paper we discuss some recent advances in this subject, focusing on two topics which played an important role in the development of extremal combinatorics:
Using Semantic and Structural Properties of the Unified Medical Language System to Discover Potential Terminological Relationships

Objective: To use the semantic and structural properties in the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) Metathesaurus to characterize and discover potential relationships. Design: The UMLS integrates knowledge from several biomedical terminologies. This knowledge can be used to discover implicit semantic relationships between concepts. In this paper, the authors propose a problem- independent approach for discovering potential terminological relationships that employs semantic abstraction of indirect relationship paths to perform classification and analysis of network theoretical measures such as topological overlap, preferential attachment, graph partitioning, and number of indirect paths. Using different versions of the UMLS, the authors evaluate the proposed approach's ability to predict newly added relationships. Measurements: Classification accuracy, precision-recall. Results: Strong discriminative characteristics were observed with a semantic abstraction based classifier (classification accuracy of 91%), the average number of indirect paths, preferential attachment, and graph partitioning to identify potential relationships. The proposed relationship prediction algorithm resulted in 56% recall in top 10 results for new relationships added to subsequent versions of the UMLS between 2005 and 2007. Conclusions: The UMLS has sufficient knowledge to enable discovery of potential terminological relationships.
PETROLEUM FORMATION AND THE THERMAL HISTORY OF THE EARTH'S SURFACE

Petroleum reservoirs are known to depths of ~ 10 km, and their ages extend to ~ 700 m.y. Since temperature is important to petroleum-forming processes, the thermal history of this region is analyzed. From the geologic record, average surface temperature values are derived for recent geologic time and 2.5 b.y .BP. These data are applied to the Newton cooling law to obtain a value of 2.63 x 10(-11)yr(-1) for the heat transfer constant of the Earth surface/space system. This, in turn, yields an approximate average cooling rate for the surface of 7iC per b.y. Profiles of average surface temperature over geologic time are constructed for high, middle and low latitudes. Respective initial average surface temperatures at these latitudes were 13.6i, 41.6i and 59.6iC. Two tests are applied to the cooling curves to check their validity. First, they are used with the rate constant for the mantle outgassing of water vapour and the Clausius-Clapeyron equation to calculate the accumulation and average temperature of liquid surface water over geologic time. The results are consistent with the geologic record pertaining to the history of water-borne sediments, glaciation and life. Second, the calculated thermal characteristics of the surface are compared with published date for the mantle. They agree to within 2%. The surface average cooling-rate, applied to the average geothermal gradient of the crust, gives a value of <10i C. for the temperature change of a petroleum reservoir buried at a depth of 10 km over the past 700 m.y. The change for reservoirs either younger or less deep (or both) would be less. These results indicate that the importance of reservoir age to petroleum -forming processes lies mainly in the increased opportunity for geologic change such as depth of burial or igneous activity that would alter conditions within the reservoir.
Facilitation of efficient search of an unbaited radial-arm maze in rats by D1, but not D2, dopamine receptors.

Abstract Dopamine (DA) agonists facilitate and antagonists inhibit conditioned preparatory behaviors in rats. We provide added evidence that increased D1 receptor activation facilitates unconditioned preparatory behavior as well, this time in the form of efficient search of an unbaited radial-arm maze. Administration of 0.1, but not 1.0, mg/kg sc SKF81297, a full D1 agonist, increased the number of novel arms chosen in the first eight arms entered. Treatment with 0.1 mg/kg sc d -amphetamine, an indirect DA agonist, also increased search efficiency when given on the first test day but not when given following a test day with a 1.0 mg/kg dose. The 0.1-mg/kg amphetamine-induced facilitation was blocked by coinjection of 0.005 mg/kg SCH23390, a D1 antagonist. Treatment with quinpirole, a D2 agonist, or eticlopride, a D2 antagonist, decreased amount of maze search, but did not affect efficiency. Collectively, our results support the possibility there is a general facilitatory effect of D1 activation on unconditioned preparatory behavior.
Global digital divide: Influence of socioeconomic, governmental, and accessibility factors on information technology

The research goal is to analyze the influence of socioeconomic, governmental, and accessibility factors on ICT usage, expenditure, and infrastructure in 71 developing and developed countries. Overall results indicate primary importance of scientific and technical capacity as measured by publications, and secondary significance of foreign direct investment, government prioritization of ICT, public spending on education, and math-science education. For developed nations, technology factors are again most strongly associated with scientific publications, followed by foreign direct investment, p of females in the labor force, and education variables. For developing countries, technology attributes are strongly associated with foreign direct investment, government prioritization of IT, and education variables. The cases of ICT development and growth in Egypt and Estonia are examined and found to be consistent with the regression results for developing nations. The article suggests policy steps that can be taken by national governments to narrow the digital divide. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Narcyz Roztocki and H. Roland Weistroffer were the accepting Associate Editors for this article. Sajda Qureshi was the accepting Editor for this article.
Assessment and Prediction of Stress-Related Growth

This article reports the development of the Stress-Related Growth Scale (SRGS) and its use in a study examining determinants of stress-related positive outcomes for college students. Study 1 analyses showed that the SRGS has acceptable internal and test-retest reliability and that scores are not influenced by social desirability. Study 2 analyses showed that college students' SRGS responses were significantly related to those provided by friends and relatives on their behalf. Study 3 analyses tested the determinants of stress-related growth longitudinally. Significant predictors of the SRGS were (a) intrinsic religiousness; (b) social support satisfaction; (c) stressfulness of the negative event; (d) positive reinterpretation and acceptance coping; and (e) number of recent positive life events. The SRGS was also positively related to residual change in optimism, positive affectivity, number of socially supportive others, and social support satisfaction, lending further support to the validity of this new scale. Results have implications for current theory on stress-related positive outcomes.
Adapting compilation techniques to enhance the packing of instructions into registers

The architectural design of embedded systems is becoming increasingly idiosyncratic to meet varying constraints regarding energy consumption, code size, and execution time. Traditional compiler optimizations are often tuned for improving general architectural constraints, yet these heuristics may not be as beneficial to less conventional designs. Instruction packing is a recently developed compiler/architectural approach for reducing energy consumption, code size, and execution time by placing the frequently occurring instructions into an Instruction Register File (IRF). Multiple IRF instructions are made accessible via special packed instruction formats. This paper presents the design and analysis of a compilation framework and its associated optimizations for improving the efficiency of instruction packing. We show that several new heuristics can be developed for IRF promotion, instruction selection, register re-assignment and instruction scheduling, leading to significant reductions in energy consumption, code size, and/or execution time when compared to results using a standard optimizing compiler targeting the IRF.
Efficient instruction-level optimization methodology for low-power embedded systems

For low-power embedded systems, we solve the instruction scheduling and reordering problem as a Precedence Constrained Hamiltonian Path Problem for DAGs and the traveling salesman problem (TSP), both of which are NP-hard (W.J. Cook et al., 1998; V. Jain et al., 1999). We propose an efficient instruction-level optimization algorithm for solving the NP-hard problem. Minimum spanning tree (MST) and simulated annealing (SA) mechanisms are used for the optimization. We describe the methods for generating the control flow and data dependence graph (CDG), power dissipation table (PDT), and weighted strongly connected graph (SCG) for the instruction-level low-power analysis. In addition, confidence limits with error tolerance are considered for the validation of the optimization. Finally, experimental results that demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed algorithms are shown.
Surfactant protein A regulates surfactant phospholipid clearance after LPS-induced injury in vivo.

Previous in vitro studies have suggested that surfactant protein A (SP-A) may play a role in pulmonary surfactant homeostasis by mediating surfactant secretion and clearance. However, mice made def...
Does the Constitution Prescribe Rules for its Own Interpretation

It is frequently assumed that the Constitution specifies no rules governing how it is to be interpreted or applied. But is this really so? This article argues that this commonly held assumption is seriously mistaken. A careful reading of the Constitution's text shows that the Constitution itself prescribes an interpretive methodology of original public meaning textualism. The Constitution sets forth these general interpretive instructions in Article VI, in language confirmed by the Enacting Clause (Preamble), the "Establishment Clause" (of Article VII), by the structure and logic of Article V, and by the Due Process Clauses of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments. In addition, the Constitution contains a number of specific, "retail" interpretive instructions, including the Ninth, Tenth, and Eleventh Amendments.
Lights, nano, action! New plasmonic materials and methods to probe nanoscale phenomena

The field of plasmonics has transformed the ability to control nanoscale light-matter interactions with applications ranging from high-efficiency photovoltaic modules to ultrasensitive biodetectors, electromagnetic cloaks, and subwavelength integrated photonic circuits. This article summarizes my group’s efforts to contribute to this burgeoning field, with emphasis on our research in quantum plasmonics and optical-frequency magnetism. First, we explore the plasmon resonances of individual nanoparticles as they transition from a classical to a quantum-influenced regime. We then utilize these results to directly monitor hydrogen absorption and desorption in individual palladium nanocrystals. Subsequently, using real-time manipulation of plasmonic particles, we investigate plasmonic coupling between pairs of particles separated by nanometer- and angstrom-scale gaps. For sufficiently small separations, we observe the effects of quantum tunneling between particles on their plasmonic resonances. Finally, using the properties of coupled metallic nanoparticles, we demonstrate the colloidal synthesis of an isotropic metafluid or “metamaterial paint” that exhibits a strong optical-frequency magnetic response and the potential for negative permeabilities and negative refractive indices.
The Lineage of New Public Administration

The characteristics and values of the "new public administration" are viewed as flowing directly from a variety of values, some inconsistent, which guided traditional public administration. This li...
Automatic generation of a class of simulation models from databases

The authors show the potential of using a higher-level language, such as BASIC, to automatically generate syntactically correct simulation models from functional databases. The resulting models may then be executed directly by the general-purpose simulation language of choice. The procedure is primarily developed for assembly line operations. The proposed approach is based on the observation that although the simulation logic of network-based models is generally simple, the structure of such models is highly input-data dependent. As an example a QuickBASIC program to generate SIMNET cost estimation is listed, and a SIMNET II simulation model for the example application is listed. >
Sorting the Past: the Social Function of Antique Stores as Centers for the Production of Local History

As centers of material culture and storytelling, antique stores are useful sources for writing local history. Through interviews with store owners in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, this article attempts to understand the purpose and function of antique stores, and to serve as a guide for how local and regional historians might consider using antique stores to aid their own research. It argues that material objects, buildings, places and stories are necessarily linked in telling local history.
Hypertension and Stroke in Racial/Ethnic Groups

The impact of hypertension is a major contributor to the largely uncontrolled, global disease burden across all racial/ethnic groups. African-Americans have a higher incidence and prevalence of hypertension compared with Caucasians. End-organ manifestations continue to be multi-factorial and have been closely associated with salt sensitivity, obesity, and overactivity of the sympathetic nervous system as well as environmental influences. Despite the advances in the treatment of hypertension, there continues to be a disproportionate burden among racial and ethnic minorities. There is compelling evidence that African-Americans are more susceptible to increased salt load compared to Caucasians, resulting from alterations in kidney function that requires higher arterial pressure to maintain steady-state, causing a shift to the right of the pressure–naturesis curve. In molecular genetic studies on salt sensitivity, several molecular variants have been identified by single strand nucleotides polymorphisms to be more exclusive in blacks than in whites. As a result of having sympathetic overactivity from obesity, there is a compensatory mechanism to burn fat and decrease weight gain, but in exchange for an increased sympathetic discharge to the peripheral vasculature which may predispose on to hypertension.
Dopaminergic Synapses Mediate Neuronal Changes in an Analogue of Operant Conditioning

Dopaminergic synapses mediate neuronal changes in an analogue of operant conditioning. Feeding behavior in Aplysiacan be modified by operant conditioning in which contingent reinforcement is convey...
A multi-scale finite element contact model using measured surface roughness for a radial lip seal

Abstract Historically, large computational requirements have left contact modeling approaches unable to combine multiple-length scale effects (comprised by the macro-scale geometry of the component and sub-micron geometry of the surface roughness) into a single deterministic analysis. This work presents a three-dimensional, multi-scale, finite element contact and deformation model for a worn-in radial lip seal. The model includes elastomer bulk geometry and apex surface roughness measured from an experimentally tested elastomer seal. The work describes the modeling method used to simulate the compressed state of the seal. A statistical parameter analysis of both the compressed and uncompressed surface roughness was performed. Results are presented and discussed with respect to their potential impact on modeling efforts and the operating conditions of the seal.
Dietary curcumin: a potent natural polyphenol for neurodegenerative diseases therapy

Aggregation of misfolded amyloid proteins is a key factor for synaptic damage and impairment of neuronal communication in several neurodegenerative diseases. Since last few decayed several synthesized compounds, small molecules, drugs have been used to target against these misfolded proteins, but ultimately failed to prevent the misfolded protein aggregations and neurotoxicity effectively. Therefore, therapies for these diseases are elusive and under active investigation. As a potent anti-amyloid activity and its Pleotropic actions, recently curcumin has been used for treatment of several neurodegenerative diseases. It is the main ingredients of turmeric powder of the herb Curcuma longa. Its preferential binding properties with misfolded amyloid proteins attracted researchers to use as a potential therapy to prevent neurodegeneration. Importantly, curcumin is also a safe, inexpensive, easily available polyphenol and it can cross blood brain barrier. Therefore, it is considered one of the promising natural polyphenol for therapy of age related protein misfolding diseases, including several neurodegenerative disorders. In this mini review article we provided conceptual information about the multiple potentials of curcumin for prevention and/ or treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
Academic-industrial collaboration in the development of the first angiotensin receptor blocker: neprilysin inhibitor in the treatment of heart failure

The important roles of the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS) and the natriuretic peptide system (NPS) in the regulation of arterial pressure and fluid volume in both health and disease have been well established for decades. Activation of the former causes vasoconstriction and sodium retention, while activation of the latter has opposing actions—vasodilatation, natriuresis, and diuresis. It is highly desirable to suppress the activity of the RAAS and to enhance the activity of the NPS in patients with heart failure, as well as in patients with hypertension. Considerable efforts to accomplish this both effectively and safely have recently met with success with the development of an angiotensin receptor blocker-neprilysin inhibitor (ARNi), likely the first of a new class of drugs. Cardiologists, many in the wider medical community, and millions of patients with heart failure were excited in March 2014 …
Parabrachial nucleus lesions impair feeding response elicited by 2,5-anhydro-D-mannitol

Systemic injection of the fructose analogue 2,5-anhydro-D-mannitol (2,5-AM) elicits a feeding response and induces c-fos activity in the parabrachial nuclei (PBN). We used bilateral ibotenic acid lesions of PBN to determine whether the activation inferred from c-fos activity was causally related to the feeding response. The relationship between the PBN lesion and feeding behavior was also examined with the glucose analogue 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG). The PBN lesions interfered with the feeding response to 2,5-AM but spared the feeding response to 2-DG. Rats were also tested in a conditioned taste-aversion paradigm. Differences were observed in the relationship between lesion extent and behavioral deficit for feeding responses to 2,5-AM and taste-guided intake after taste-aversion conditioning. These data provide the first demonstration that central lesions can disrupt feeding responses to peripherally acting 2,5-AM. The results suggest that the neural substrate for this response differs from that mediating taste-aversion conditioning and from that involved in the feeding response to 2-DG.
Toxicity of Pesticides Used on Walnuts to a Wild and Azinphosmethyl-Resistant Strain of Trioxys pallidus (Hymenoptera: Aphidiidae)

Effects of azinphosmethyl, chlorpyrifos, endosulfan, methidathion, or phosalone on a wild and a laboratory-selected strain of Trioxys pal/idus Haliday were tested. A clip cage was used to confine insects on walnut foliage treated in the field. Mortality of adults was assessed after 4, 8, 18, 24, 48, and 72 h at 27 ± 1.5°C. Residues ranged from 1 to 35-d-old. One-day-old residues of chlorpyrifos were the most toxic to the wild colony; 1-d-old residues of azinphosmethyl, methidathion, phosalone, and endosulfan were progressively less toxic. Azinphosmethyl residues remained more toxic to both colonies for the longest time of any of the pesticides tested. Methidathion residues were toxic to the wild colony after 28 d (survival at 72 h, 56%), but survival of the Selected strain on 14-d-old residues was 94% even after 72 h of exposure. Residues of phosalone and endosulfan exhibited low toxicity (survival >86%) to both strains after 14 d. The azinphosmethyl-selected strain of T. pallidus survived all pesticide residues significantly better than the wild strain (except the 14-d-old endosulfan residues, on which both survived equally well), indicating that cross-resistances developed through artificial selection with azinphosmethyl. Implications of the new azinphosmethyl-resistant strain of T. pallidus for walnut pest management and orchard management are discussed.
A Multi-Photoperiod Constant-Temperature Chamber

The construction of a constant-temperature chamber of simplified design and moderate cost within which 11 selected photoperiods can be maintained is described. Numerous key points of design are illustrated as a construction aid.
Microwave Characterization Of Electro-Optic Polymers

Electro-optic polymer thin-films were characterized at microwave frequencies, for possible applications in GHz modulators. Single layers of the polymers were spin coated on low loss magnesium oxide substrates for characterizing the polymers at microwave frequencies. Coplanar waveguide test structures were designed for evaluation of the relative dielectric permittivity as well as the loss-tangent of the polymers at microwave frequencies. A conformal mapping technique was used for the extraction of relative dielectric constant of the polymer films based on the microwave scattering parameter measurements. As an example, a DR1-PMMA polymer had a relative dielectric permittivity of 3.01 and a loss-tangent of 0.075 at 8 GHz. The design of the test structures, the procedure for the accurate determination of the dielectric permittivity and the loss-tangent of the polymer films are discussed in this paper.
Three Dimensional Flow Field Numerical Simulation of Engine Intake Port Based on AVL FIRE

Flow characteristics of intake port in 4 different valve lift are analyzed by using AVL FIRE software, which reveals flow characteristics of certain engine intake port and in-cylinder. Gas flow, turbulence energy, speed isopleth map, ratio of flow coefficient and swirl rate are achieved, which show intuitively that flow characteristics of port and in-cylinder during intake and supply methods and basis for performance optimization, evaluation and redesign of intake port.
Attestation Transparency: Building secure Internet services for legacy clients

Internet services can provide a wealth of functionality, yet their usage raises privacy, security and integrity concerns for users. This is caused by a lack of guarantees about what is happening on the server side. As a worst case scenario, the service might be subjected to an insider attack. We use remote attestation of the server to obtain guarantees about the programming of the service. On top of that, we augment Certificate Transparency to distribute information about which services exist and what they do. Combined, this creates a platform that allows legacy clients to obtain security guarantees about Internet services.
Interpretation of lactate dehydrogenase isoenzymes.

Many causes for an increased serum lactate dehydrogenase exist. This article identifies these causes.
The effective exponent γ(Q) and the slope of the β function

Abstract The slope of the β function at a fixed point is commonly thought to be RG invariant and to be the critical exponent γ ⁎ that governs the approach of any physical quantity R to its fixed-point limit: R ⁎ − R ∝ Q γ ⁎ . Chýla has shown that this is not quite true. Here we define a proper RG invariant, the “effective exponent” γ ( Q ) , whose fixed-point limit is the true γ ⁎ .
Designing air corridors for sUAS in consideration of aerial traffic hazards

This paper expands upon a proposed freeway-style method of traffic management for commercial sUAS, with the goal of increasing traffic safety and efficiency. Various potential hazards that sUAS may encounter mid-flight will be examined and categorized by severity; their resulting effects on traffic flow will be analyzed when applicable. Potential design improvements will be suggested, and areas for future study will be pinpointed in the process. The purpose of this paper is to help bring large-scale sUAS travel networks closer to reality.
Eighteenth-Century Ireland: Politics, Economy, Society

The social and political stability of eighteenth-century Ireland was something of a facade. By the late 1770s the facade began to crack; in the 1790s it collapsed. The image of stability is based on the long domestic peace which followed the Treaty of Limerick in 1691, and indeed the contrast between the eighteenth century and the turbulence of the seventeenth is striking. This is the era of (long unchallenged) protestant dominance and self-confidence. A confidence expressed — and an image of stability reinforced — by the great public buildings and elegant Georgian squares which grace Dublin to this day. Above all, the monumental Palladian colonnades of the new parliament, erected in College Green between 1729 and 1739, symbolised the burgeoning sense of security now enjoyed by the governing protestant elite. The eighteenth century witnessed the finest flowering, in literature as in architecture, of J. C. Beckett’s ‘Anglo-Irish tradition’.1
DEA Environmental Assessment (II): A Literature Study

This chapter systematically summarizes previous research efforts, including concepts and methodologies, on DEA environmental assessment applied to energy in the past three decades. Industrial developments are very important for all nations in terms of their economic prosperities. The problem is that the development produces various pollutions on air, water and others types of contaminations, all of which are usually associated with our health problems and climate changes. Thus, it is necessary for us to think how to make a balance between economic success and pollution mitigation in order to maintain a high level of social and corporate sustainability in the world. It is widely considered among researchers and practitioners that DEA is one of methodologies to examine the level of sustainability. The purpose of this chapter is to describe the importance of DEA in assessing unified (operational and environmental) performance of various entities in public and private sectors by summarizing previous research efforts on environmental assessment. The literature survey in this chapter covers 407 articles on DEA applications in energy and environment. It is true that DEA is not a perfect methodology, rather being an approximation methodology for performance assessment. The methodology has strengths and drawbacks in applications. Therefore, it is very important for us to carefully use DEA for guiding large policy and business strategies regarding the global warming and climate change. An underlying premise of this study is that technology innovation in engineering may solve the pollution and climate problem by linking it with economic and business concerns. The DEA provides such a linkage between engineering and social science, so enhancing the practicality in mitigating environmental pollutions. It is envisioned that the literature study, along with a summary on conceptual and methodological developments discussed in Chap. 16, provides researchers and individuals who are interested in social and corporate sustainability with analytical and methodological guidelines for their future research works on DEA environmental assessment.
ADAMANT: Tools to Capture, Analyze, and Manage Data Movement☆

Abstract In the converging world of High Performance Computing and Big Data, moving data is becoming a critical aspect of performance and energy efficiency. In this paper we present the Advanced DAta Movement Analysis Toolkit (ADAMANT), a set of tools to capture and analyze data movement within an application, and to aid in understanding performance and energy efficiency in current and future systems. ADAMANT identifies all the data objects allocated by an application and uses instrumentation modules to monitor relevant events (e.g. cache misses). Finally, ADAMANT produces a per-object performance profile. In this paper we demonstrate the use of ADAMANT in analyzing three applications, BT, BFS, and Velvet, and evaluate the impact of different memory technology. With the information produced by ADAMANT we were able to model and compare different memory configurations and object placement solutions. In BFS we devised a placement which outperforms caching, while in the other two cases we were able to point out which data objects may be problematic for the configurations explored, and would require refactoring to improve performance.
Emerging Impact of Malnutrition on Surgical Patients: Literature Review and Potential Implications for Cystectomy in Bladder Cancer

Purpose: Malnutrition is emerging as a significant factor in patient outcomes. A contemporary review of malnutrition has not been performed for the urologist. We review the available literature and current standards of care for malnutrition screening, assessment and intervention, focusing on patients with bladder cancer treated with cystectomy.Materials and Methods: Our multidisciplinary team searched PubMed® for available literature on malnutrition, focusing on definition and significance, importance to urologists, screening, assessment, diagnosis, immunological and economic impacts, and interventions.Results: The prevalence of malnutrition in hospitalized patients is estimated to range from 15% to 60%, reaching upward of 71% in those with cancer. Malnutrition has been shown to increase inflammatory markers, further intensifying catabolism and weight loss. Bladder cancer is catabolic and patients undergoing cystectomy have increased resting energy expenditure postoperatively. Data are emerging on the imp...
Accelerated local anomaly detection via resolving attributed networks

Attributed networks, in which network connectivity and node attributes are available, have been increasingly used to model real-world information systems, such as social media and e-commerce platforms. While outlier detection has been extensively studied to identify anomalies that deviate from certain chosen background, existing algorithms cannot be directly applied on attributed networks due to the heterogeneous types of information and the scale of real-world data. Meanwhile, it has been observed that local anomalies, which may align with global condition, are hard to be detected by existing algorithms with interpretability. Motivated by the observations, in this paper, we propose to study the problem of effective and efficient local anomaly detection in attributed networks. In particular, we design a collective way for modeling heterogeneous network and attribute information, and develop a novel and efficient distributed optimization algorithm to handle large-scale data. In the experiments, we compare the proposed framework with the state-of-the-art methods on both real and synthetic datasets, and demonstrate its effectiveness and efficiency through quantitative evaluation and case studies.
Tracing player experience: a content analysis of player feedback tickets

In open development, video game developers publicly release incomplete games to gather feedback during the development process. They use a range of tools to capture and analyse this feedback. This paper uses content analysis to examine the feedback from an in-game feedback widget with the goal of understanding how player experience shifts during open game development.