cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Vitamin D receptor and megalin gene polymorphisms and their associations with longitudinal cognitive change in US adults

Background: Vitamin D receptor (VDR) and the megalin gene polymorphism's link with longitudinal cognitive change remains unclear. Objective: The associations of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for VDR [rs11568820 (CdX-2:T/C), rs1544410 (BsmI:G/A), rs7975232 (ApaI:A/C), rs731236 (TaqI:G/A)], and Megalin (rs3755166:G/A; rs2075252:C/T; rs4668123:C/T) genes with longitudinal cognitive performance changes were examined. Design: Data from 702 non-Hispanic white participants in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging were used. Longitudinal annual rates of cognitive change (LARCCs) between age 50 y and the individual mean follow-up age were predicted with linear mixed models by using all cognitive score time points (prediction I) or time points before dementia onset (prediction II). Latent class, haplotype, and ordinary least squares (OLS) regression analyses were conducted. Results: Among key findings, in OLS models with SNP latent classes as predictors for LARCCs, Megalin2 [rs3755166(–)/rs2075252(TT)/rs4668123(T−)] compared with Megalin1 [rs3755166(–)/rs2075252(CC)/rs4668123(–)] was associated with greater decline among men for verbal memory (prediction II). Significant sex differences were also found for SNP haplotype (SNPHAP). In women, VDR1 [BsmI(G−)/ApaI(C−)/TaqI(A−); baT] was linked to a greater decline in category fluency (prediction I: β = −0.031, P = 0.012). The Megalin1 SNPHAP (GCC) was related to greater decline among women for verbal memory, immediate recall [California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT), List A; prediction II: β = −0.043, P = 0.006) but to slower decline among men for delayed recall (CVLT-DR: β > 0, P < 0.0125; both predictions). In women, the Megalin2 SNPHAP (ACC) was associated with slower decline in category fluency (prediction II: β = +0.026, P = 0.005). Another finding was that Megalin SNP rs3755166:G/A was associated with greater decline in global cognition in both sexes combined and in verbal memory in men. Conclusion: Sex-specific VDR and Megalin gene variations can modify age-related cognitive decline among US adults.
The Measurement of Public Opinion on Abortion: The Effects of Survey Design

A factorial experiment examined the effects of the wording and sequence of survey questions on the measurement of attitudes toward abortion. When a first-trimester pregnancy is specified, 55% of respondents agree that a woman should be able to obtain a legal abortion for any reason, compared with 44% when no pregnancy duration is stated. Specifying first-trimester pregnancies has little effect on the proportion of respondents who agree that abortion should be available for maternal health, fetal defects or rape, but it significantly increases the proportion who agree that a woman should be able to obtain an abortion if she is single, has financial constraints or wants no more children. When gestational lengths from one to six months are presented to respondents in ascending order, agreement that a woman should be able to obtain an abortion for any reason is lower for any given length of gestation than when pregnancy durations are presented in descending order. Forty-eight percent of respondents agree that abortion should be legal for any reason when that question is posed after a series of specific reasons; however, 60% do so when it is the first question in the sequence. The difference in agreement with abortion for any reason between Catholics and non-Baptist Protestants, and between Republicans and Democrats, is much smaller when the question is asked first than when it is presented last.
Single photon SWAP gate using electromagnetically induced transparency

We describe a scheme that performs a SWAP gate between two photons at different wavelengths with near 100% fidelity. The essential idea is the preparation of a near-maximal atomic coherence using electromagnetically induced transparency.
Electrostrictive Properties of the lead Zirconate Titanate Solid-Solution System

Values of the electrostrictive constants for the lead zirconate titanate (PZT) solid-solution system were required to com plete the development of a thermodynamic phenomenological theory of PZT. The electrostrictive Q12 constant was meas ured as a function of composition on polycrystalline ceramic PZT samples. These data were used with additional single–crystal and ceramic data from the literature to approximate the compositional dependence of the electrostrictive constants of the PZT system. Series and parallel equations, analogous to the Voigt and Reuss models for the elastic constants, were used to relate the ceramic and single-crystal data, and to pre dict the upper and lower bounds of the ceramic electrostric tive constants from the single-crystal constants.
Brand advertising, on-line audiences, and social media: invited talk

This talk will discuss the issues and techniques at the intersection of data science, advertising technology, and the business of brand advertising on-line. For better or worse, on-line advertising has been viewed by many advertisers as a direct marketing channel, with sponsored search advertising being the shining star. However, a very large proportion of advertising budgets is dedicated to brand advertising, for which clicks and short-horizon on-line purchases may not be the primary goal. Instead or in addition, brand advertisers want to get an advertising message to a chosen audience, for example to build or to reinforce brand affinity. This talk will argue that social media may be particularly valuable for on-line brand advertising, and discuss technology for selecting, evaluating, and targeting audiences, plus important issues such as privacy and maintaining brand image.
Latent Learning and Deferred Imitation at 3 Months

Young infants spend most of their waking time looking around, but whether they learn anything about what they see is unknown. We used a sensory preconditioning paradigm and a deferred imitation task to assess if 3-month-olds formed a latent association between 2 objects (S1 , S2 ) that they merely saw together. Because infants cannot perform the imitation task until 6 months, we maintained the latent memory with periodic reminders until then, when we modeled the target actions on S1 and tested them with S2 24 hr later. At 6 months of age, infants who had seen S1 and S2 paired (but not unpaired) deferred imitation on S2 , confirming that they had associated the objects 3 months earlier. In addition, 3-month-olds who saw the objects paired and then saw the target actions modeled on S1 for 60 sec also recalled and imitated them on S2 3 months later, at 6 months of age. These data reveal that latent learning by very young infants is both extensive and enduring and document that the knowledge base begins to form early in life, long before infants are able to express what they know.
An efficient and sensitive method for preparing cDNA libraries from scarce biological samples

The preparation and high-throughput sequencing of cDNA libraries from samples of small RNA is a powerful tool to quantify known small RNAs (such as microRNAs) and to discover novel RNA species. Interest in identifying the small RNA repertoire present in tissues and in biofluids has grown substantially with the findings that small RNAs can serve as indicators of biological conditions and disease states. Herewedescribeanovelandstraightforwardmethod to clone cDNA libraries from small quantities of input RNA. This method permits the generation of cDNA libraries from sub-picogram quantities of RNA robustly, efficiently and reproducibly. We demonstrate that the method provides a significant improvement in sensitivity compared to previous cloning methods while maintaining reproducible identification of diverse small RNA species. This method should have widespread applications in a variety of contexts, including biomarker discovery from scarce samples of human tissue or body fluids.
Streptococcus mutans copper chaperone, CopZ, is critical for biofilm formation and competitiveness

The oral cavity is a dynamic environment characterized by hundreds of bacterial species, saliva, and an influx of nutrients and metal ions such as copper. Although there is a physiologic level of copper in the saliva, the oral cavity is often challenged with an influx of copper ions. At high concentrations copper is toxic and must therefore be strictly regulated by pathogens for them to persist and cause disease. The cariogenic pathogen Streptococcus mutans manages excess copper using the copYAZ operon that encodes a negative DNA-binding repressor (CopY), the P1-ATPase copper exporter (CopA), and the copper chaperone (CopZ). These hypothetical roles of the copYAZ operon in regulation and copper transport to receptors led us to investigate their contribution to S. mutans virulence. Mutants defective in the copper chaperone CopZ, but not CopY or CopA, were impaired in biofilm formation and competitiveness against commensal streptococci. Characterization of the CopZ mutant biofilm revealed a decreased secretion of glucosyltransferases and reduced expression of mutacin genes. These data suggest that the function of copZ on biofilm and competitiveness is independent of copper resistance and CopZ is a global regulator for biofilm and other virulence factors. Further characterization of CopZ may lead to the identification of new biofilm pathways.
Fuzzy Logic Method for Link Loss Detection during Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Flights.

This paper proposes a fuzzy logic technique to detect the loss of the UAV’s communication link. The method consists in testing the channel when a communication failure is detected and sending diagnostic packages to the far end node of the link. To detect the loss of communication and determine the cause, four metrics are used: Bad Packet Ratio (BPR), Clear Channel Assessment (CCA), RSS Received Signal Strength (RSS), and Packet Delivery Ratio (PDR). A Fuzzy Inference System (FSI) uses these parameters to compute a Jamming Index (JI) and to determine if the link is functioning normally, or if it is lost due to jamming or other causes. Evaluation results show that the proposed technique is efficient in detecting the loss of communication and determining its cause.
Contemporary management of patients with heart failure

Treatment of patients with heart failure has become extremely challenging. A complicated interplay of myocardial, hemodynamic, and humoral factors marking this condition requires a delicate balancing of medication use, procedural intervention, and lifestyle changes. Judicious prescription of therapies in stepwise fashion as the syndrome severity worsens (Fig. 2) is critical to success.
Kinetics of Maleic Acid and Aluminum Chloride Catalyzed Dehydration and Degradation of Glucose

We report the positive effect of maleic acid, a dicarboxylic acid, on the selectivity of hexose dehydration to 5-hydroxymethyfurfural (HMF) and subsequent hydrolysis to levulinic and formic acids. We also describe the kinetic analysis of a Lewis acid (AlCl3) alone and in combination with HCl or maleic acid to catalyze the isomerization of glucose to fructose, dehydration of fructose to HMF, hydration of HMF to levulinic and formic acids, and degradation of these compounds to humins. The results show that AlCl3 significantly enhances the rate of glucose conversion to HMF and levulinic acid in the presence of both maleic acid and HCl. In addition, the degradation of HMF to humins, rather than levulinic and formic acids, is reduced by 50% in the presence of maleic acid and AlCl3 compared to HCl combined with AlCl3. The results suggest different reaction mechanisms for the dehydration of glucose and rehydration of HMF between maleic acid and HCl.
Toward a better understanding of health-related quality of life: a comparison of the Medical Outcomes Study HIV Health Survey (MOS-HIV) and the HIV Overview of Problems-Evaluation System (HOPES).

Although enthusiasm for measuring health-related quality of life (HRQL) in clinical trials exists, information is limited on the meaning of scores. We examined the relation between scores from the 34-item Medical Outcomes Study HIV Health Survey (MOS-HIV) and the more detailed HIV Overview of Problems-Evaluation System (HOPES) using the responses of 318 HIV-infected outpatients being treated in Los Angeles and Baltimore. With the HOPES problem statements as independent variables, statistically significant predictors of the variation in MOS-HIV scores for the Physical Function, Mental Health, and Energy/Fatigue scales were identified using stepwise regression. Approximately 60% to 70% of the variation in each of the scores was explained by five to seven different HOPES problem statements, with a single item explaining 47% to 59% of the variation. We created illustrative profiles for each of the three MOS-HIV scales using the HOPES items identified in the regressions. Independent of the scale, persons scoring in the top MOS-HIV quartile tended to report few if any problems, whereas a decline in score to the next quartile was characterized by functional difficulties (e.g., "HIV interferes with work"). The onset of specific problems might trigger further evaluation and potential intervention from health care providers to help maintain patient functioning.
Time, Cells, and X Rays: Temporal Aspects of Some Responses of Cultured Cells to X Irradiation

When John Ward called to inform me that I had been selected to present the Failla Lecture, of course I felt an intense sense of gratification, but it was tempered by the nagging feeling that there must be some mistake. As I thought about it, I realized that there were several reasons for this unease. First, I have never pictured myself as an award winner, and I remember, as a student, being shocked when a chemist friend stated that he was seeking a particular prize, and again when a teacher of mine (who became a distinguished member of the National Academy) nominated himself for a prize-and won it. Clearly, the Committee's selection proves that it isn't necessarily true that if you don't promote yourself, no one will, though certainly this may sometimes be so. Furthermore, my thesis advisor, James Franck, who was a distinguished scientist and a Nobel laureate, and a kind and gentle man, thought it inadvisable that I pursue an academic career. I recognized that he was probably right, and adjusted my expectations accordingly. But I went ahead anyway, and was most fortunate in beginning my studies in radiation biology during the period when the federal government was accelerating its support of biomedical research; any boob could get a grant in those days. But without continued support from the NIH over the years, I could never have done the work that is being recognized today, so surely much of the credit is due the biomedical bureaucracy and the Study Section.2 Added to all that, for many years my institution pretty much ignored me and my work, and though this was not such a bad thing in itself, it did not prepare me to receive an award. Clearly, either the University or the Society has made a mistake, and obviously it isn't the Society.
Tumor segmentation with multi-modality image in Conditional Random Field framework with logistic regression models

We have developed a semi-automatic method for multi-modality image segmentation aimed at reducing the manual process time via machine learning while preserving human guidance. Rather than reliance on heuristics, human oversight and expert training from images is incorporated into logistic regression models. The latter serve to estimate the prob- ability of tissue class assignment for each voxel as well as the probability of tissue boundary occurring between neighboring voxels given the multi-modal image intensities. The regression models provide parameters for a Conditional Random Field (CRF) framework that defines an energy function with the regional and boundary probabilistic terms. Using this CRF, a max-flow/min-cut algorithm is used to segment other slices in the 3D image set automatically with options of addition user input. We apply this approach to segment visible tumors in multi-modal medical volumetric images. I. INTRODUCTION A key requirement in high-precision radiotherapy is the accurate spatial delineation of the tumor and the critical normal organs abutting it. For this purpose, it is crucial to use images from multiple modalities. Computed tomography (CT) images provide high resolution images of both soft tissues and bony structures. Relative to CT, magnetic reso- nance imaging (MRI) provides improved soft tissue contrast in many anatomical sites. Positron emission tomography (PET) reveals functional data, though with much poorer resolution than CT or MRI. Figure 1(a) shows images from these modalities for the same patient. The complementary information provided by these images is heavily relied upon by the radiation oncologists in defining the tumor volume and designing an optimized treatment plan. However, there are challenges in how to combine these images in treatment planning. For example, it is well known that large variability exists in target-delineation by different doctors using a single modality image (4). In addition, it has been reported (22) that significantly different tumor volumes can be delineated by the same observer on images from different modalities. Given the above, it would be desirable to develop a computer-aided multiple modality image segmentation tool that incorporates both expert-user- input and machine-learning capabilities. We hypothesize that
Three Drawings in an Anglo-Saxon Pontifical: Anthropomorphic Trinity or Threefold Christ?

Three full-page drawings of the deity in the English tenth-century pontifical from Sherborne (Paris, Bibl. Nat. lat. 943, fols. 5v–6v) have hitherto been identified as one of the earliest representations of the Trinity in anthropomorphic form. Detailed examination of the pictorial evidence and the textual context of the works suggests, however, that the drawings actually portray an even more unusual subject, one apparently without precedent in earlier Western art, to wit, Christ appearing in his threefold character as king, god, and man.
Dissolution of CaCO3(1014) Surface

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) has been used to study dissolution of the cleaved CaCO3(1014) surface in clean and impurity containing aqueous environments. In the clean solution, dissolution was found to occur by retreat of steps and creation of rhombohedral pits on a surface. Dissolution is anisotropie with two different step velocities differing by a factor of 2.3, resulting from different atomic step structures. Dissolution is partially changed after adding impurities in the solution via rounding of the fastest dissolution corner of rhombohedral pits and slowing down the step velocity in that direction. The role of impurity on dissolution is discussed in terms of preferential adsorption of impurities on kink sites.
Descriptive analysis of the use of biomarkers in the early development of targeted therapies. Experience in San Antonio phase I program.

C45 Background: The approval of molecular therapies to treat cancer is changing the design of Phase I trials. Along with toxicity, multiple pharmacodynamic endpoints are being tested to determine response, select the optimal population, and select the optimal biological dose. Biomarkers analyzed in Phase I trials may be later validated in Phase II trials. To further elucidate the role biomarkers have in current early clinical trials, we describe the biomarkers tested in Phase I/II trials of biological therapies performed at our institution in the past 3 years. Materials and Methods: We reviewed the protocols that involve molecular targeted therapies in monotherapy, in combination with chemotherapy, and in combination with other targeted drugs. Drugs were classified by their pharmacological features (e.g. small molecules, antibodies, immunoconjugates, and antisense oligonucleotides) and by the targeted pathway (e.g. angiogenesis, signal transduction, apoptosis, immunotherapy). Biomarkers were classified as well by type of biospecimen, technique that was used, and by mechanistic class. Results: From 102 trials, 61 protocols involved targeted therapies utilizing a total of 44 different drugs (80.3% in monotherapy, 19.7% in combination; 75.4% PhI, 4.9% PhI/II, 18% PhII, 1.6% PhIII) from 36 different sponsors. Twenty-eight percent of the protocols did not include pharmacodynamic markers. When requested, the most common specimens used for analysis were blood (65.9%), tissue (19.9%) and imaging devices (10.3%). Immunohistochemistry was the most used technique (30.8%) followed by high-throughput techniques (13.3%). Unclassifiable biomarkers were also very prevalent (15.1%). Out of the 46 different drugs reviewed, currently 34 have a recommended dose for Phase II (12 are ongoing). Only 1 study had the dose recommendation based on biomarkers. Conclusions: In phase I studies of targeted therapies, biomarker analysis is frequently incorporated. A variety of techniques, specimens and biomarkers were examined, and when stratified by the two most targeted pathways (angiogenesis and signal transduction) we found no significant consistency among similar drugs. In the current state of clinical trials, biomarkers are rarely used in establishing the recommended dose of targeted therapies.
A Simulation on Wind Farm Integration in Improving Power System Damping

A power system stabilizing technology is introduced into the wind turbine with a doubly fed induction generator(DFIG),by use of the slip signal as feedbacks into the rotor side converter control model.During the power oscillation of a power system,a damping active power is injected into the network from the DFIG machine via regulating the rotor excitation voltage angle.This will improve the overall system damping characteristic.A testing system including a wind farm is established in DIgSILENT/Power Factory.The eigenvalue analysis and time response simulation studies are conducted with and without the proposed control model.The results illustrate those wind turbines using the proposed controller can improve the system damping.The power oscillations are restrained and the dynamic stability enhanced.
Finding the Way to OSM Mapping Practices: Bounding Large Crisis Datasets for Qualitative Investigation

OpenStreetMap (OSM) is the most widely used volunteer geographic information system. Although it is increasingly relied upon during humanitarian response as the most up-to-date, accurate, or accessible map of affected areas, the behavior of the mappers who contribute to it is not well understood. In this paper, we explore the work practices and interactions of volunteer mappers operating in the high-tempo, high-volume context of disasters. To do this, we built upon and expanded prior network analysis techniques to select high-value portions of the vast OSM data for further qualitative analysis. We then performed detailed content analysis of the identified activity and, where possible, conducted interviews with the participants. This research allowed the identification of seven distinct mapping practices that can be classified according to dimensions of time, space, and interpersonal interaction. Our work represents a baseline for future research about how OSM crisis mapping practices have evolved over time.
Histochemical and cellular aspects of adipose tissue development in decapitated pig fetuses: an ontogeny study

Adipose tissue from fetuses decapitated at 45 d of gestation was removed and structurally and histochemically analyzed at 65, 85 and 110 d of gestation. Subcutaneous adipose tissue from decapitated and control fetuses at 65 d of gestation was histologically and histochemically similar. A reduced number of fat cell clusters in the outer layer of subcutaneous tissue and a poorly developed dermis was evident in decapitated fetuses at 85 d of gestation. Fat cell size was similar for control and decapitated fetuses at 65 d of gestation, whereas cells in 85 d-old decapitated fetuses were larger than cells in control fetuses. Adipocytes from control and 85 d-old decapitated fetuses were histochemically similar except for an elevated number of esterase positive cells in decapitated fetuses. At 110 d of gestation, adipocytes from decapitated fetuses had higher activities of the following enzymes than did control adipocytes: malate dehydrogenase (NADP dependent) glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase NADP dependent), isocitrate dehydrogenase (NADP dependent), alpha-glycerol phosphate dehydrogenase (NADP dependent), NADPH-tetrazoleum reductase and esterase. Levels of succinate dehydrogenase, glutamate dehydrogenase and NADH-tetrazoleum reductase were similar in cells from controls and decapitated fetuses. These data indicate that fetal decapitation probably exerts a positive influence on enzymes involved in lipid synthesis. However, fetal decapitation also exerts a negative influence on fat cell hyperplasia.
Oocyte retention after follicle luteinization

Indirect evidence supports the existence of the luteinized unruptured follicle syndrome in infertile women. To seek direct evidence of oocyte retention, infertile and normal women were studied in the early and midluteal phase by visual documentation of ovulation stigma, needle aspiration of ovarian follicles, and peritoneal fluid collection for estradiol and progesterone assay. Luteal phase was confirmed by endometrial biopsy (postovulation day 2 to 8). In normal control subjects (n=16), 25% of test cycles were stigma-negative and no oocytes were recovered. In infertile group (n=23), 43% of test cycles were stigma-negative. Five oocytes were recovered including one from a stigma-bearing follicle. Peritoneal fluid steroid levels failed to discriminate stigma-positive from stigma-negative cycles in either group. Oocyte retention after luteinization occurs in infertile women.
Modified Technique for the Surgical Treatment of Congenital Constriction Bands of the Arms and Legs of Infants and Children

The combination of circumferential subcutaneous fat advancement flaps and Z-plasties allows for single-stage treatment of congenital constriction bands of the arms and legs of infants and children.
Joyce’s shorter works

At first glance, Joyce's shorter works - his poems and epiphanies, Giacomo Joyce , and Exiles - seem to bear only the most tenuous relationship to the books for which Joyce has become famous. It is only by an exercise of the imagination that the epiphanies and Giacomo Joyce can even be called 'works'; Joyce published neither in its original form, choosing instead to loot them for the more ambitious undertakings that followed, and neither received the painstaking polish that Joyce lavished on his more ambitious productions. Only forty of at least seventy-one epiphanies are extant and their relationship to one another had to be reconstructed from manuscript evidence; the sketches that comprise Giacomo Joyce were similarly composed, arranged, and abandoned, but not destroyed. Chamber Music , although published in 1907, was orphaned when Joyce delegated the final arrangement of the poems to his brother Stanislaus. Pomes Penyeach , as the title suggests, is a modest offering of twelve and a tilly poetic 'fruits'. Only Exiles continued to hold Joyce's interest as an autonomous composition not destined for immediate verbal recycling. The status of the shorter works as successful, original, or even finished compositions has always been in question; even in more subjective terms, however, they seem to offer few of the rewards of their longer and better known counterparts. First, and most damagingly, they are humourless; what humour may be discerned in them is bitter or ironic, inspired by pained defiance (as in ‘Gas from a Burner’) or jaded cynicism (‘In my time the dunghill was so high’ – E 43). Secondly, they are spare, denuded of the variable styles and elaborate contexts that make Ulysses and Finnegans Wake seem inexhaustible. Finally, they are easily dismissed as immediately derivative of both Joyce’s experiences and his reading.
The Best New Dealer from Texas

The Hill Country forms both the physical and the psychological heart of Texas. The proper geographical name for this area is the Edwards Plateau, a rocky region that rises to the west of Austin and San Antonio. Crisp air and superb views surprise the visitor accustomed to the humid pine forests and swampy lowlands of East Texas, or the dry prairies of West Texas. In spring the scrub oaks and cedar (actually juniper, but Texans dub it “cedar”) fill with songbirds, and prickly pear cactus poke through fields of wildflowers. Clear streams weave along limestone beds, often dropping into deep blue pools framed by willow trees. Today, the Hill Country is best known for its recreational opportunities and retirement living. The mountains overlook a string of sparkling man-made reservoirs, jammed full each weekend with Jet Skis and motorboats. Expensive Italianate villas share the view with clusters of stucco condominiums, and bed-and-breakfasts offer nostalgic weekend retreats complete with log cabins, fly fishing, and goat milking. But for much of its history the Hill Country remained isolated, an unforgiving landscape of poor land and even poorer farmers. Lured there in the nineteenth century by the region's lush grass and clear streams, settlers soon found that cattle grazing exposed the thin layer of topsoil. Heat and drought scorched the bare earth, and streams dried to a trickle. Flash floods carved gullies into the hillsides and washed away the land's illusive fertility. Cedar brakes and tenacious hardwood brush took over the eroded hills.
A web-based collection and analysis of process safety incidents

Abstract Process safety incidents have large consequences on people, community and environment; hence, it is important to have a learning organization to build on lessons learned from incidents both within and outside the organization. In this study, a web-based collection of process safety incidents is categorized and analyzed in a two-tiered manner to identify proximate causes. Further, a risk-based framework is used to determine deficiencies in the safety management systems. 96 incidents were collected and subjected to the analysis. Even though these incidents are from across the world, they are not statistically representative due to the lack of a universal database of process safety incidents. During the analysis, it was observed that 60% of the incidents resulted in explosions and 16% had equipment malfunction as a proximate cause. In addition, the analysis using the risk-based framework showed that incidents were influenced by a deficiency of safe work practices, operating procedures and conduct of operations. Future work in this area includes the development of tools for continuous monitoring of safety critical systems by leveraging lessons learned from previous incidents.
Control of a doubly-fed induction wind generator under unbalanced grid voltage conditions

Wind energy is often installed in rural, remote areas characterized by weak, unbalanced power transmission grids. In induction wind generators, unbalanced three-phase stator voltages cause a number of problems, such as overheating, over-current, and stress on the mechanical components from torque pulsations. Therefore, beyond a certain amount of unbalance, induction wind generators are switched out of the network. This can further weaken the grid. In doubly-fed induction generators, control of rotor currents allows for adjustable speed operation and reactive power control. In addition, it is possible to control the rotor currents to correct for the problems caused by unbalanced stator voltages, including torque pulsations and unbalanced stator currents. This paper presents a novel voltage mode controller design for a doubly-fed induction generator that provides variable speed, reactive power control. Also, under stator voltage unbalance conditions, the proposed control eliminates torque pulsations and draws more balanced currents from the utility
Novel Antimicrobial Peptide-Based Blood Safety Strategies for Bacterial Reduction

Bacterial contamination of blood and blood components is a major safety concern in transfusion medicine. In order to facilitate safer transfusion products to the end users, there is a critical need for novel proof-of-concept ideas for pathogen reduction, which are different from the current ones that outweigh the associated toxicity and/or contamination risk. Present study involves use of nine novel synthetic antimicrobial peptides (four originated from thrombin-induced human platelet derived antimicrobial proteins named PP1-PP4 and five having 1–5 repeats of arginine and tryptophan residues, named DP1-DP5. These peptides were tested on plasma samples spiked with 10-fold dilutions of 5 different bacteria ( Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae , and Bacillus cereus ) that are important to the field of transfusion medicine and analyzed whether these spiked plasma samples could be cured of the pathogens. Each spiked sample was incubated with a peptide (PP1-PP4 and DP1-DP5) for 2 hours at 37°C. Following incubation, a fixed volume of the inoculum was plated on nutrient agar plates and incubated overnight at 37°C for colony count. Spiked sample without any peptide was included as control. Results revealed that out of nine peptides tested, while DP3 and DP4 were active against all 5 organisms tested resulting in 50–100 % of inhibition of specific organisms, peptide PP4 was only active against E. coli , P. aeruginosa and Bacillus cereus resulting in a 30–100% reduction in the CFU/ml compared to the controls. Table 1 Based on these results, it appears that peptides used in this study provide a new antibacterial strategy against a range of bacteria and with further studies and refinement, these peptides could prove useful towards bacterial reduction in blood and blood products. The findings and conclusions in this abstract have not been formally disseminated by the Food and Drug Administration and should not be construed to represent any Agency determination or policy.
Single-Perturbation-Cycle Online Battery Impedance Spectrum Measurement Method With Closed-Loop Control of Power Converter

This paper presents a method for an online real-time electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurement of batteries using closed-loop control of power converter. Unlike the previously proposed method which allows the measurement of the ac impedance for a single frequency, the presented method in this paper allows for obtaining the EIS for a spectrum of frequencies by using the information included in a single perturbation cycle, or a few cycles of perturbation to obtain a more accurate EIS with a very wide frequency range. This will result in faster EIS measurement for a spectrum of frequencies and under the same battery operating conditions. The presented method utilizes closed-loop control operation for the EIS measurement functionality, which allows for better control of the output voltage and for upgrading the concept to be able to achieve no added perturbation ripple at the output of the system. The presented online real-time EIS measurement method utilizes a power converter with closed-loop control in order to create an output voltage step-function perturbation at a given frequency to generate battery voltage and current responses. By applying Fourier analysis to these responses, an EIS can be obtained for a range of frequencies equal or higher than the perturbation frequency of the step function. In addition, this paper presents a method to eliminate the added perturbation ripple when two or more power converters are used. The theoretical basis and experimental prototype results are provided to illustrate and validate the presented method.
Ni-Catalyzed Alkene Carboacylation via Amide C–N Bond Activation

We report Ni-catalyzed formal carboacylation of o-allylbenzamides with arylboronic acid pinacol esters. The reaction is triggered by oxidative addition of an activated amide C–N bond to a Ni(0) catalyst and proceeds via alkene insertion into a Ni(II)–acyl bond. The exo-selective carboacylation reaction generates 2-benzyl-2,3-dihydro-1H-inden-1-ones in moderate to high yields (46–99%) from a variety of arylboronic acid pinacol esters and substituted o-allylbenzamides. These results show that amides are practical substrates for alkene carboacylation via amide C–N bond activation, and this approach bypasses challenges associated with alkene carboacylation triggered by C–C bond activation.
IL-4Rα Inhibitor for Atopic Disease

Dupilumab is a fully human IgG4 monoclonal antibody directed against the IL-4Rα subunit of IL-4 and IL-13 receptors. It blocks the signaling pathways of IL-4 and IL-13, key cytokines that drive type 2 inflammatory response. In March 2017, dupilumab was approved for use in the treatment of atopic dermatitis (eczema). To view this Bench to Bedside, open or download the PDF.
Experimental Application of the Time-Optimal Xenon Shutdown Program

The logic of the time-optimal solution to the xenon shutdown problem for a point reactor model has been successfully applied to an actual reactor system. Spatial integration of the flux-square weig...
Technology Training in Speech-Language Pathology: A Focus on Tablets and Apps

Use of tablet computers has become ubiquitous in speech-language pathology assessment and intervention. With hundreds of applications of variable quality available, clinical training programs have ...
Photovoltaic waste assessment in Mexico

Abstract Large growth in renewable energy technology is required to combat climate change. Photovoltaic (PV) is the most promising technology with the largest potential, and Mexico has one of the best locations to exploit solar resources. During 2015, the Mexican government approved 7.8 GW of PV projects. This PV deployment is linked to a great generation of PV waste once the PV systems reach their end-of-life. Considering 30 years as average module lifetime, around 2045, Mexico will have 1.2 million mt of PV waste, 691 thousand mt of which are PV modules waste (31 millions PV modules). Since PV modules represent only 55% of the material contained in PV systems, this paper presents an assessment of the future PV-waste volumes in Mexico, including not only the PV modules but the balance of system (BOS). In total, near to 1 million mt of different metals will be contained in the PV-waste stream (42% Fe, 26% Al, 26% Si, 5% Cu). Fortunately, assuming the best available recycling technology, around 920 thousand mt of PV waste could be recycled. Precious and valuable metals (e.g. 271 mt of silver, 10 mt of gold, 17 mt of gallium, 10 mt of indium, 139 mt of cadmium and 100 mt of tellurium) can be recovered. This study analyzes the PV-waste generation under different scenarios such as: market share in PV modules technology, recycling yields for precious and critical metals, metal composition of transformers and thin film panel development.
How We Got to Now: A Brief History of the Shale Energy Revolution

The Carbon Age burst out of its adolescence during World War 1. Supported by its domestic energy prowess and access to foreign oil, the United States rose to global dominance as the undisputed superpower during and after World II. The American-created Bretton Woods System bolstered global capitalism, which has underpinned and maintained an unprecedented era of peace and prosperity around the world. Global capitalism and its many benefits are intimately tied to a reliable and secure hydrocarbon supply. Energy shocks starting in the 1970s raised real doubts about the future of American energy security, the sustainability of American Empire, and, the overall future of global capitalism. Early Twenty-First Century innovative developments in energy extraction from shale rock—originating in the USA—coupled with unique characteristics of the American society have altered the global energy landscape.
Time Trends in the Prevalence of Neurocognitive Disorders and Cognitive Impairment in the United States: The Effects of Disease Severity and Improved Ascertainment.

BACKGROUND Trends in the prevalence of cognitive impairment (CI) based on cognitive assessment instruments are often inconsistent with those of neurocognitive disorders (ND) based on Medicare claims records. OBJECTIVE We hypothesized that improved ascertainment and resulting decrease in disease severity at the time of diagnosis are responsible for this phenomenon. METHODS Using Medicare data linked to the Health and Retirement Study (1992-2012), we performed a joint analysis of trends in CI and ND to test our hypothesis. RESULTS We identified two major contributors to the divergent directions in CI and ND trends: reductions in disease severity explained more than 60% of the differences between CI and ND prevalence over the study period; the remaining 40% was explained by a decrease in the fraction of undiagnosed individuals. DISCUSSION Improvements in the diagnoses of ND diseases were a major contributor to reported trends in ND and CI. Recent forecasts of CI and ND trends in the U.S. may be overly pessimistic.
An approach to mitigate effects of colour variation, specularity and pores on microtexture analysis of aggregates

ABSTRACTPrevious research indicated that color variation, specularity, and porosity, which are not related to surface roughness or texture of aggregate, affect the value of Texture Index (TI) deter...
Impacts and responses to climate change in forests of the MINK region

The adaptability of forests in the U.S. midwest to a changing climate is assessed. The forests of Missouri are simulated with a ‘forest-gap’ model, a stochastic model of the annual growth and mortality of trees within mixed-species forest plots. The development of representative forest plots under an analog climate like that of the 1930s is compared to development under baseline climate conditions. With no management response, average forest biomass in the region declines by 11% within ten years, primarily due to moisture-stress induced mortality. Longer term declines in forest productivity on the order of 30% are simulated. A variety of possible management responses through planting or harvesting practices were evaluated. None of these adaptations appear to be practical, although the salvage harvest of stressed trees would offset the economifc losses associated with the early mortality. An investigation of anticipated trends in the broader forest products sector suggests that opportunities for further adaptation to offset the decline in primary productivity of this region’s forest are quite limited. However, a shift to wood powered electrical generation in the region might justify a level of management that would allow some adaptation to the analog climate change.
Insulin Clearance After Oral and Intravenous Glucose Following Gastric Bypass and Gastric Banding Weight Loss

OBJECTIVE Hepatic insulin clearance is a significant regulator of glucose homestasis. We hypothesized that the improvement in insulin clearance rates (ICRs) under fasting conditions and in response to oral and intravenous (IV) glucose would improve similarly after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and adjustable gastric banding (AGB) as a function of weight loss; the difference in ICR after oral and IV glucose stimulation will be enhanced after RYGB compared with AGB, an effect mediated by glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS In study 1, the ICR was calculated under fasting condition (F-ICR), after oral glucose (O-ICR), and after an isoglycemic IV glucose clamp (IV-ICR) in individuals from an established cohort with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) before, after 10% matched weight loss, and 1 year after either RYGB (n = 22) or AGB (n = 12). In study 2, O-ICR was studied in a separate cohort of individuals with T2DM (n = 22), before and 3 months after RYGB, with and without exendin(9-39) infusion. RESULTS In study 1, age, BMI, T2DM duration and control, and ICR did not differ between RYGB and AGB preintervention. Weight loss at 1 year was two times greater after RYGB than after AGB (31.6 ± 5.9% vs. 16.6 ± 9.8%; P CONCLUSIONS Weight loss increased ICR, an effect more pronounced after RYGB compared with AGB. Our data support a potential role for endogenous GLP-1 in the control of postprandial ICR after RYGB.
The Russian Orthodox Church

The recent “conservative turn” in Russian politics has raised to new levels the role of spiritual and moral values in political discourse. The new partnership formed between the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) and the state, a modernized version of the traditional Byzantine symphonia, has also affected Russian foreign policy. One notable example is the emergence of the “Russian World” as a key concept in Russia's relations with Ukraine and the rest of the CIS. Although the Church plays a subordinate role in this relationship, it is far from being merely the Kremlin’s puppet. By decentering the nation, this investigation seeks to shed light on the Church’s distinct approach to politics, and show where it draws the line on cooperation with civil authorities. Only by viewing the ROC as an autonomous political and eschatological actor, will we be able to appreciate how it influences Russian foreign policy.
3D heterogeneous photonic electronic integrated circuits (Conference Presentation)

We will discuss 2D and 3D photonic integrated microsystems designed for coherent synthesis, processing, and detection of optical waves in temporal, spectral, and spatial domains. The talk will be in three parts addressing applications in future communication, computing, and imaging systems. The 3D photonic integrated circuit (PIC) platform exploits direct inscribing of arbitrarily shaped waveguides using femtosecond lasers. In one example, such a 3D PIC allows arbitrary beam forming for spatial division multiplexing using orbital angular momentum states. We will further discuss 2D integrated photonic technologies based on InP, silicon, and silica material platforms. Examples at UC Davis include > THz coherent optical transmitters and receivers on a monolithically integrated InP platform, silicon photonic RF-photonic lattice filters, silicon-photonic optical routers, and photonic-lanterns. Dynamic optical arbitrary waveform generation and measurement (OAWG and OAWM) technologies enable > THz scale coherent optical transmission systems with arbitrary modulation formats and bandwidth. Integrated 3D devices can realize arbitrary spatial beam forming and beam steering. We will also demonstrate a silicon-photonic switch which realizes all-to-all interconnection of > 1000 computing nodes, and discuss a compact interferometric imaging system realized on 2D/3D photonic integrated circuits. Finally, we will address future prospects of the new 2D/3D photonic integration technologies towards realizing future communication, computing, and imaging systems.
Solvolytic and Nucleophilic Reactions of BaP Diol Epoxides

This chapter presents studies on the solvolytic and nucleophilic reactions of benzo[a]pyrene BaP diol epoxides. In these studies, it was found that both benzo[a]pyrene BaP diol epoxides were susceptible to attack by nucleophiles such as aniline and p -nitrothiophenolate. The opening of the epoxy ring occurred in the trans manner in t -butyl alcohol. Phenol, in sharp contrast, was found to add to diol epoxides solely in a cis manner. Addition of phenol in a cis manner to diol epoxide may be attributed to the slightly acidic conditions prevailing, but no satisfying explanation was advanced to account for cis addition to diol epoxide that in contrast undergoes only trans addition in acidic methanol. The mechanistic analysis becomes even more puzzling when phenoxide and acetate are utilized as nucleophiles. The trans adducts are formed from diol epoxide whereas the stereoisomer the epooxide gives a complex mixture of yet unidentified products, at least with phenoxide anion.