cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Thermodynamics and Microstructure Development in the Thin Film Reaction of Aluminum on Silicon Carbide

A refined thermodynamic analysis of the reaction between molten Al and SiC is presented. The calculations indicate much higher Si concentrations for saturation with respect to Al4C3 formation than previously reported. Preliminary rnicrostructural studies confirm the formation of interfacial Al4C3 for pure Al thin films on SiC reacted at 900°C. The implications of the calculations and experimental observations for the production of ohmic contacts to p-type SiC are discussed.
Traffic speeds on interstates and freeways 10 years after repeal of national maximum speed limit.

Objectives. Essentially all published analyses of operational and safety outcomes related to enactment or repeal of the national maximum speed limit (NMSL) were based on data limited to the initial 1–3 years. The purpose of the present study was to collect and analyze longer term speed data. Method. In 2006, traffic speeds were surveyed at 26 locations on urban and rural expressways in five states (California, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, and Texas) where speeds had been measured in 1996, immediately after repeal of NMSL. Most speed limits were unchanged during the approximately 10-year period. However, Montana introduced a numeric 75 mph limit for passenger vehicles in place of a “reasonable and prudent” limit. In Texas, urban freeway speed limits for passenger vehicles were reduced 5 mph, and truck limits were increased 5 mph. Results. On rural interstates without speed limit changes, travel speeds increased for both passenger vehicles and large trucks; the proportion of passenger vehicles exceeding 80 ...
Morphology control of tungsten nanorods grown by glancing angle RF magnetron sputtering under variable argon pressure and flow rate

Morphologically novel tungsten nanorods (WNRs) with the co-existence of two crystalline phases, α-W (thermodynamically stable) and β-W, were fabricated by glancing angle RF magnetron sputtering technique under various Ar pressures and flow rates. For these nanorods, a significant variation in their morphology and surface roughness was observed. These structures could be useful in a wide range of applications such as field emission, robust superhydrophobic coatings, energy, and medicine.
The Filipino writer in America—old and new

(1976). The Filipino writer in America—old and new. World Literature Written in English: Vol. 15, No. 2, pp. 406-414.
Selective up-regulation of functional mu-opioid receptor splice variants by chronic opioids.

We recently reported (Verzillo, et al. J. Neurochem: 130, 790-796, 2014) that chronic systemic morphine selectively up-regulates mRNA encoding two C-terminal μ-opioid receptor (MOR) splice variants, MOR-1C1 and MOR-1B2 (MOR-1B2/-1C1). Given the known disconnects between changes in levels of mRNA and corresponding protein, it is essential to directly demonstrate that chronic opioid treatment elevates functional MOR-1B2/-1C1 protein prior to inferring relevance of these MOR variants to spinal opioid tolerance mechanisms. Accordingly, we investigated the ability of chronic opioid exposure to up-regulate MOR protein in Chinese hamster ovary cells stably transfected with rat MOR variants MOR-1B2, MOR-1C1, or MOR-1 (considered to be the predominant MOR). Findings revealed that chronic treatment with the clinically relevant opioids morphine, oxycodone and hydrocodone substantially up-regulated membrane MOR-1B2/-1C1 protein. This up-regulation was abolished by the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide, eliminating contributions from receptor redistribution. The increment in MOR-1B2/-1C1 protein was paralleled by a significant increment in opioid agonist-stimulated GTPγS-binding (reflective of increased aggregate MOR G protein coupling) indicating that up-regulated MOR-1B2/-1C1 represented functional receptors. Strikingly, these tolerance-associated adaptations of MOR-1B2/-1C1 differed considerably from those of MOR-1. Antithetical regulation of MOR-1B2/-1C1 and MOR-1 by chronic opioids has significant implications for the design of new therapeutic agents to counteract opioid analgesic tolerance and accompanying addiction. Since chronic opioids induce MOR-1B2/-1C1 up-regulation in spinal cord of males, but not females, elucidating cellular compartments and intracellular pathways mediating MOR-1B2/-1C1 up-regulation and defining their unique signaling attributes would enable a precision medicinal approach to pain management and addiction therapy. In the spinal cord of males, but not females, chronic morphine up-regulates mRNA encoding two mu-opioid receptor (MOR) variants, MOR-1B2 and MOR-1C1 (MOR-1B2/-1C1). We now demonstrate that chronic treatment with the clinically relevant opioids morphine, hydrocodone or oxycodone up-regulates MOR-1B2/-1C1 functional protein, which is dependent on de novo protein synthesis. Findings underscore the importance of unique signaling attributes of MOR variants to sexually dimorphic tolerance mechanisms.
The Promise of a Warranty.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is among the most powerful independent risk factors of the cardiovascular disease presence and is associated with a 3 to 5× higher cardiovascular event risk. This has long been recognized by the National Cholesterol Education Program report in the United States and European guidelines, both labeling type 2 diabetes mellitus a coronary artery disease (CAD) equivalent. Although ever since the original publication by Haffner et al1 suggesting that asymptomatic patients with diabetes mellitus have the same cardiovascular risk as patients with previous myocardial infarction, a controversy has been raging as to whether indeed all patients with diabetes mellitus are equal. See article by Valenti et al During the past 20 years, large cohort studies, including the Framingham Heart Study and the Multiethnic Study of Atherosclerosis along with registries alike, have demonstrated that patients with diabetes mellitus are not a homogeneous risk cohort and as individuals are at different levels of risk of clinical events, including mortality. The same can be said for atherosclerotic disease. Indeed, the study by Valenti et al2 in this issue of Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging assessed the amount …
Activation of PKA leads to mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition and loss of tumor-initiating ability

The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition enables carcinoma cells to acquire malignancy-associated traits and the properties of tumor-initiating cells (TICs). TICs have emerged in recent years as important targets for cancer therapy, owing to their ability to drive clinical relapse and enable metastasis. Here, we propose a strategy to eliminate mesenchymal TICs by inducing their conversion to more epithelial counterparts that have lost tumor-initiating ability. We report that increases in intracellular levels of the second messenger, adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate, and the subsequent activation of protein kinase A (PKA) induce a mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition (MET) in mesenchymal human mammary epithelial cells. PKA activation triggers epigenetic reprogramming of TICs by the histone demethylase PHF2, which promotes their differentiation and loss of tumor-initiating ability. This study provides proof-of-principle for inducing an MET as differentiation therapy for TICs and uncovers a role for PKA in enforcing and maintaining the epithelial state.
Insulin Content of the Pancreas Following Intoxication of Rabbits with Parathyphoid B Filtrate and Dysentery Bacilli

The presence of hydropic degeneration in the cells of the islets of Langerhans of rabbits and guinea-pigs, suffering from spontaneous infections or subjected to injections of organisms of the enteritidisparatyphosus B group and the coincidence of these lesions with disturbances in the dextrose content of the blood suggested that the lesion in the islets might be associated with a diminished concentration of insulin in that tissue.
In vitro and in vivo studies of a new antibiotic, fumagillin, with Endamoeba histolytica.

Summary1. A new antibiotic, fumagillin (“Antibiotic H-3”), was found to be effective in vitro against E. histolytica at concentrations of 1:10,000,000 to 1: 15,000,000. 2. Preliminary in vivo studies on monkeys naturally infected with E. histolytica indicated that fumagillin possesses considerable amebacidal activity. Further investigations are necessary to evaluate this drug more completely.
Study on molecular typing of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in the food poisoning cases

Objective To type 49 Vibrio parahaemolyticus strains isolated from food poisoning samples during 2005 to 2007 in Luohu district of Shenzhen and understand the epidemiological features caused by the pathogen.Methods Traditional bacteria culturing method and real-time PCR were used to detect the Vibrio parahaemolyticus strains from the poisoning samples.Pulsed field gel electrophoresis(PFGE)was used to type the Vibrio parahaemolyticus strains and bioNumerics software was used to analyze the PFGE patterns.Results 49 Vibrio parahaemolyticus strains were isolated from the food poisoning samples during 2005-2007.36 of which could be divided into three groups.Strains with the same serotype had almost the same PFGE patterns.The strains which isolated from the same food poisoning samples were highly relative.Conclusion Vibrio parahaemolyticus epidemical cloning strains existed in food poisoning samples of Luohu district,which indicated that surveillance of Vibrio parahaemolyticus should be strengthened.The findings of the present study verified the usefulness of PFGE in characterizing bacteria strains and tracking infection sources.
History and Purpose of Assessment and Diagnosis of Autism

This chapter will trace the development of method and measures designed to screen, diagnose, and monitor autism. Beginning with the use of clinical observation and history, assessments have become more structured and specialized. A discussion of how screening and diagnostic methods came about and developed will be reviewed.
MODULATION OF VESICULAR GLUTAMATE RELEASE DURING ANOXIA

Despite the fact that stroke is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, there is very little the clinician has to offer for its acute management. Clarification of the mechanisms that contribute to cell death during hypometabolic states such as stroke and anoxia may lead to novel strategies for therapy. It appears that excitatory amino acids (glutamate and aspartate) released during stroke contribute to the resulting neuronal death through the mechanism of excitotoxicity1,2. However, the mechanism of this release and its regulation are poorly understood.
Assay methods for 238U, 232Th, and 210Pb in lead and calibration of 210Bi bremsstrahlung emission from lead

Methods for measuring 238U, 232Th, and 210Pb in refined lead are presented. The 238U and 232Th concentrations are determined using isotope dilution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry after anion exchange column separation of dissolved lead samples. The 210Pb concentration is inferred through α-spectroscopy of a daughter isotope, 210Po, after precipitation separation of dissolved lead samples. Subsequent to the 210Po α-spectroscopy measurement, a method for evaluating 210Pb concentrations was developed via measurement of bremsstrahlung radiation from β-decay of a daughter isotope, 210Bi, using a 14-crystal array of high purity germanium detectors. Ten sources of refined lead were assayed and results are presented.
Rapid Colorimetric Detection of the Fungal Phytopathogen Synchytrium endobioticum Using Cyanine dye-Indicated PNA Hybridization

Synchytrium endobioticum is a parasitic fungus that is considered to be the most important potato pathogen worldwide. Spread of the fungus can result in catastrophic impacts to agriculture and economy, as it is very infective and can survive in spore form for over 70 years. To date, the gold standard for S. endobioticum identification relies on visual classification by highly trained personnel. This paper presents the colorimetric detection of S. endobioticum from potato wart samples using a peptide nucleic acid (PNA) probe and a cyanine dye. A segment of the 18S ribosomal RNA gene was sequenced for several S. endobioticum pathotypes and used to design a species-specific PNA probe. The probe was used in a rapid colorimetric hybridization assay that detected RNA from infected wart tissue down to 10−17 mol within 15 min. This technique demonstrates potential for rapid identification of potato wart in non-laboratory settings with minimally trained staff.
A polynomial chaos-based nonlinear Bayesian approach for estimating state and parameter probability distribution functions

Various systems engineering and control applications require the knowledge of the complete probability distribution function (pdf) of system states and parameters. This work presents a nonlinear Bayesian estimation approach that uses the histogram filter algorithm to construct the posterior pdfs of the state variables and uncertain parameters based on histograms of the prior and likelihood pdfs. To address the computational challenges associated with the Bayesian estimation algorithms in obtaining the posterior pdfs, the generalized polynomial chaos framework is used to enable efficient propagation of the time-invariant probabilistic system uncertainties with arbitrary distributions. The proposed estimation approach is demonstrated on a benchmark continuous bioreactor, and its performance and computational requirements are compared to those of a sequential importance resampling particle filter.
Teaching the Meaning and Meaninglessness of Life

ABSTRACT Anthony T. Kronman, in his book Education's End, both critiques the current teaching trends in the liberal arts and argues for a return to teaching “the meaning of life in a deliberate and organized way” (2007, 74). While I will use Kronman's work as a springboard, I will diverge significantly from his work as well. First, I will discuss some of the key distinctions that need to be made in order to even start to address something as substantial as the meaning of life, including an examination of the possibility that life is meaningless. I will look at the work of philosophers, literary works, and other disciplines to aid in this examination. Reflecting on the likes of C.P. Snow's The Two Cultures, I will argue that the liberal arts/humanities provide the best means for truly making sense of the meaning/meaninglessness of life. Finally, it is only the liberal arts/humanities that can provide the narrative structures, the creativity, and the collation of other disciplines, including the natural sci...
Tracking across nonoverlapping cameras based on the unsupervised learning of camera link models

A multiple-camera tracking system that tracks the human across cameras with nonoverlapping views is proposed. The system is divided into two phases. In the training stage, the camera link model, including transition time distribution, brightness transfer function, region mapping matrix, region matching weight, and feature fusion weight, is estimated by an unsupervised learning scheme which tolerates well the presence of outliers in the training data. In the testing stage, besides the temporal and holistic color features, region color and region texture features are considered. The systematically integration of multiple cues enables us to perform the effective re-identification. The camera link model keeps being updated during the tracking in order to adapt the change of the environment. The complete system has been tested in a real-world camera network scenarios.
Discovery of Genes Involved in Experimental Pre-Leukemia to Leukemia Transition in Mice Using Expression Arrays.

Abstract Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is characterized by a block in differentiation of myeloid cells accompanied by suppression of normal production of blood cells and dissemination of immature cells from their normal hematopoietic environment. In order to gain insight into the mechanisms governing these features of leukemia, we have examined mRNA expression patterns in transgenic mice that express PML-RARA (associated with human acute promyelocytic leukemia, APL) and BCL2. Such mice represent a model system in which these genetic changes combine to initially arrest differentiation in a pre-leukemic state, with acute leukemia arising only upon the acquisition of additional genetic changes. In the present study we identified the set of genes whose transcription is altered in pre-leukemic and leukemic bone marrow in comparison to bone marrow from normal mice. We generated and analyzed three sets of gene expression data from cDNA microarrays: (1) PRE-LEUKEMIA vs. NORMAL (6600 substances), (2) LEUKEMIA vs. NORMAL (6677 substances) and (3) PRE-LEUKEMIA vs. LEUKEMIA (3762 substances). Greater than 90% of substances showed similar expression in the pre-leukemic and leukemic samples. Sixty unique genes were differentially expressed, in a statistically significant manner, with two-fold or more difference in expression, and presenting in all three datasets. Comparison of these 60 revealed genes to a published human AML expression dataset (Bullinger et al., N Engl J Med , 350:1605, 2004) identified eight genes with the same pattern of expression in our mouse model and in human APL, and four common genes with opposite expression. For mouse pre-leukemia vs. leukemia as compared to all human AMLs vs. APL, the eight genes that showed a similar change were: COL1A2, COL5A2, EIF5A, LAMR1, LGALS1, NOTCH2, SNN, and ACP5. Of particular interest to our laboratory are two genes: LGALS1 and NOTCH2. Among the identified genes the first is most over-expressed, and the second is most under-expressed in human APL. Next, we identified genes in our dataset co-expressed with LGALS1 or NOTCH2 (correlation coefficient >0.85). Among discovered genes were revealed transcription factors (NKX6-1, GTF3A, ZFP95, SOX11, HOXA4 and more), translation factors (EIF3S6, EIF5A, EIF4A1 and more), differentiation factors (RQCD1, NEUROD2, CREBBP/EP300 inhibitory protein 1 and more), oncogenes (Ski, COUP-TF1 and more) and others. We are currently seeking to identify which of these changes may contribute to AML pathogenesis. Gene profiling using such a comparative approach for analysis will allow better understanding of leukemogenesis, and can also be applied for studies of tumor progression in other malignancies.
Physical-social fusion to assist public services in the war against air pollution in China

Many areas in China, e.g., Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area, have been suffering from severe air pollution problem in recent years. The haze has jeopardized people's health and aroused deep concern from the public. To understand residents concerns better and leverage the power of the crowd, the government encourages organizations and individuals to participate in environmental protection activities. In this paper, we describe a decision supporting system with a set of algorithms implemented to extract insights from fused physical data (Air Quality Index, AQI) and social data (social buzz). The system provides insights for the government to closely improve its public services to curb the air pollution, including understanding the correlation between AQI and residents sentiment, spot and remove illegal sources of air pollution.
Retinal Architecture and Melanopsin-Mediated Pupillary Response Characteristics: A Putative Pathophysiologic Signature for the Retino-Hypothalamic Tract in Multiple Sclerosis

Importance A neurophysiologic signature of the melanopsin-mediated persistent constriction phase of the pupillary light reflex may represent a surrogate biomarker for the integrity of the retinohypothalamic tract, with potential utility for investigating alterations in homeostatic mechanisms associated with brain disorders and implications for identifying new treatments. Objective To characterize abnormalities of retinal architecture in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and corresponding alterations in the melanopsin-mediated sustained pupillary constriction response. Design, Setting, and Participants The case-control study was an experimental assessment of various stimulus-induced pupillary response characteristics and was conducted at a university clinical center for MS from September 6, 2012, to February 2015. Twenty-four patients with MS (48 eyes) and 15 individuals serving as controls (30 eyes) participated. The melanopsin-mediated, sustained pupillary constriction phase response following cessation of a blue light stimulus was compared with the photoreceptor-mediated pupillary constriction phase response following cessation of a red light stimulus. Optical coherence tomography was used to characterize the association between pupillary response characteristics and alterations in retinal architecture, specifically, the thickness of the retinal ganglion cell layer and inner plexiform layer (GCL + IPL). Main Outcomes and Measures Association of pupillary response characteristics with alterations in retinal architecture. Results Of 24 patients with MS included in the analysis, 17 were women (71%); mean (SD) age was 47 (11) years. Compared with eyes from individuals with MS who had normal optical coherence tomography–derived measures of retinal GCL + IPL thickness, eyes of patients who had GCL + IPL thickness reductions to less than the first percentile exhibited a correspondingly significant attenuation of the melanopsin-mediated sustained pupillary response (mean [SD] pupillary diameter ratios at a point in time, 0.18 [0.1] vs 0.33 [0.09]; P Conclusions and Relevance In this case-control study, attenuation of the melanopsin-mediated sustained pupillary constriction response was significantly associated with thinning of the GCL + IPL sector of the retina in the eyes of patients with MS, particularly those with a history of acute optic neuritis. Melanopsin-containing ganglion cells in the retina represent, at least in part, the composition of the retinohypothalamic tract. As such, our findings may signify the ability to elucidate a putative surrogate neurophysiologic signature that correlates with a constellation of homeostatic mechanisms in both health and illness.
Diagnosis and treatment of spontaneous coronary artery pseudoaneurysm: Rare anomaly with potentially significant clinical implications

Spontaneous coronary artery pseudoaneurysm (PSA, false aneurysm) is an extremely rare occurrence with the precise incidence unknown. It is defined as an outwardly bulging monolayer or double layer within the coronary artery that lacks all 3 layers (intima, media, and adventitia) of the arterial wall. Coronary PSA commonly occurs from arterial dissection or perforation induced by catheter intervention, infection, pregnancy, or trauma. Traumatic dissection or perforation of the coronary artery after a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) remains the most common cause. Such cases may progress to myocardial ischemia, acute myocardial infarction, or acute coronary artery rupture causing death from cardiac tamponade. Intravascular ultrasound or cardiac computed tomography may aid in the diagnosis. Treatment options include PCI with a covered stent, bare or drug-eluting stent, coil embolization, coronary artery bypass graft with isolation of the PSA, or conservative management with vigilant clinical follow-up. In this review, we sought to describe the diagnosis, etiology, treatment, and the limited literature on spontaneous coronary artery PSA. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Patient Cessation Activity after Automatic Referral to a Dedicated Cessation Support Service.

Introduction: We characterised tobacco use, cessation patterns, and patient satisfaction with a cessation support program at an NCI Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center following a mandatory tobacco assessment and automatic referral.Methods: A 3-month follow-up survey (via web, paper, or telephone) was administered between March 2013 and November 2013 for all patients referred to and contacted by a cessation support service, and who consented to participation three months prior to administration. Patients were asked about their perceived importance and self-efficacy to quit smoking, quit attempts, and satisfaction with the cessation service.Results: Fifty-two percent (257/499) of patients who participated in the cessation support service, and consented to be contacted again, completed a follow-up survey. Of those who participated, 9.7% were referred to the service as having recently quit tobacco (in the past 30 days) and 23.6% reported having quit at the time of first contact. At the 3-month follow-up, 48.1% reported being smoke-free for the previous seven days. When patients were asked about their experience with the cessation service, 86.4% reported being very or mostly satisfied with the service, and 64.3% reported that their experience with the service increased their satisfaction with the care received at the cancer centre.Conclusions: Our findings suggest that recently diagnosed cancer patients are aware that quitting tobacco is important, are making attempts to quit, and are amenable to an opt-out automatic referral cessation support service as part of their cancer care.
Stability and Performance of the SVD System

This paper presents theoretical guarantees for the stability and performance for the singular value decomposition (SVD) system. The SVD System uses the SVD to reduce the dimension of the control inputs within a feedback loop. This is used to meet the rank 1 input constraint imposed by the row-column structure. The row-column structure reduces the number of inputs required to control $mn$ subsystems to $m + n$ . The SVD System provides scalable performance for systems coupled using the row-column structure. The results of this paper are the first analytical results for the SVD System when applied to linear subsystems of arbitrary order. The conclusion of all of this is that using the SVD System allows you to reduce the number of inputs while maintaining as close to the same performance as possible.
Erratum to: Stress and the nonsense-mediated RNA decay pathway

The original version of this article unfortunately contained errors in the section entitled “NMD in stress responses in plants”.
Psychosocial Determinants of Health Care Intentions: Test of the Triandis and Fishbein Models

The present study reports the predictive adequacy of two psychosocial models of human behavior—the Triandis Theory of Social Behavior and Fishbein's Theory of Behavioral Intentions—as they focus on...
Real-time network function virtualization with timing interfaces

More and more infrastructure is becoming virtualized. Recently this trend has begun to include network functions - such as firewalls, WAN optimizers, and intrusion prevention systems - that have traditionally been implemented as middleboxes using dedicated hardware. This trend towards network function virtualization (NFV) offers a variety of potential benefits that resemble those of cloud computing, including consolidation, easier management, higher efficiency, and better scalability. However, current cloud technology is not a perfect match for NFV workloads: since the infrastructure is shared, the time it takes for a packet to pass through a particular function is no longer predictable, and can in fact vary considerably. This is causing headaches for operators, who can no longer treat network functions as "bumps in the wire" and must now consider a complex web of possible interactions and cross-talk when operating or diagnosing their systems.In this position paper, we propose a compositional approach towards building a scalable NFV platform that can provide latency and throughput guarantees using timing interfaces. We discuss our preliminary results that leverage and extend recent advances on timing interfaces and compositional theory from the real-time systems domain to the NFV setting, and we highlight open challenges and potential directions towards real-time NFV.
A comparison of radio frequency interference within and outside of allocated passive earth exploration bands at 10.65 GHz and 18.7 GHz using the GPM microwave imager and windsat

Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) continues to be an annoyance to passive microwave remote sensing as spectrum demands escalate. For microwave imagers such as GMI and WindSat, the X-band and Ku allocated passive bands exhibit RFI from terrestrial based sources and from space-based geostationary satellites reflecting from the ocean, lakes, frozen ground, and other reflective surfaces. The GMI bands were designed to maintain the 3-dB bandpasses within the ITU allocated Earth Exploration-Passive bands, while WindSat, due to its sensitivity requirements, has much wider bandpasses. Both sensors have very similar viewing geometries, creating an ideal situation to address the question “Is it worth compromising radiometric sensitivity with lower bandwidths to stay within the allocated bands.” We find that the only benefit for these sensors of remaining within the allocated band is the elimination of reflected RFI from geosynchronous satellites around Europe at 10 GHz. Other than that, remaining within the protected bands appears to not provide much benefit.
Flow dynamics in a variable-spacing, three bluff-body flowfield

This work explores the wake dynamics of systems with three bluff bodies with variable spacing. Studies of single-wake systems have shown that coherent wake vortices have a regular and predictable periodicity. A growing literature of dual-wake studies has shown that multi-wake systems are more stochastic than single-wake systems, and their dynamics are highly dependent on the spacing between the wakes. Here, we expand on this literature by investigating three-wake systems and find that the coherent dynamics of the wakes are highly intermittent. We use proper orthogonal decomposition to extract the most energetic modes of the three-wake system at six bluff-body spacings that span a range of dynamical “regimes.” After describing the time-dependent behavior of the interacting wakes in these regimes, we use a statistical approach to describe the relative phase between oscillations in each of the wakes, identifying regimes where oscillations are more or less random. Interestingly, the wake oscillations are less...
Thermodynamic performance and cost optimization of a novel hybrid thermal-compressed air energy storage system design

Abstract Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) can potentially allow renewable energy sources to meet electricity demands as reliably as coal-fired power plants. However, conventional CAES systems rely on the combustion of natural gas, require large storage volumes, and operate at high pressures, which possess inherent problems such as high costs, strict geological locations, and the production of greenhouse gas emissions. A novel and patented hybrid thermal-compressed air energy storage (HT-CAES) design is presented which allows a portion of the available energy, from the grid or renewable sources, to operate a compressor and the remainder to be converted and stored in the form of heat, through joule heating in a sensible thermal storage medium. The HT-CAES design incudes a turbocharger unit that provides supplementary mass flow rate alongside the air storage. The hybrid design and the addition of a turbocharger have the beneficial effect of mitigating the shortcomings of conventional CAES systems and its derivatives by eliminating combustion emissions and reducing storage volumes, operating pressures, and costs. Storage efficiency and cost are the two key factors, which upon integration with renewable energies would allow the sources to operate as independent forms of sustainable energy. The potential of the HT-CAES design is illustrated through a thermodynamic optimization study, which outlines key variables that have a major impact on the performance and economics of the storage system. The optimization analysis quantifies the required distribution of energy between thermal and compressed air energy storage, for maximum efficiency, and for minimum cost. This study provides a roundtrip energy and exergy efficiency map of the storage system and illustrates a trade off that exists between its capital cost and performance.
Loss of Microbiome Ecological Niches and Diversity by Global Change and Trophic Downgrading

Microbiome is ubiquitous, and it plays a major role in global ecosystem functioning from cloud formation to plant and animal fitness. Microbiome drives several vital functions in the atmosphere, phyllosphere, rhizosphere, human, and animal habitats. However, in response to the anthropogenic activities such as land use and climate changes, these habitats are subject to tremendous alterations in their biophysical structure and physicochemistry, thus leading to dismantling of above- and below-ground multitrophic interactions, and biodiversity loss. The consequences of these adverse phenomena could potentially lead to the loss of microbiome ecological niches, diversity, functional traits, and vital functions. Moreover, invasion by micro-pollutants (e.g., antibiotics) may lead to the evolution of antibiotic resistance bacterial pathogens, could limit the potential of microbiome diversity to check the survival and persistence of pathogens. Simply by putting, all these consequences could potentially disturb the services provided by the global ecosystem. Meanwhile, predicting the consequences of loss of above- and below-ground microbial ecological niches, and developing conservation strategies are perquisite to address the menace of climate and land use changes.
Medicinal Properties of Cannabinoids, Terpenes, and Flavonoids in Cannabis, and Benefits in Migraine, Headache, and Pain: An Update on Current Evidence and Cannabis Science

Background Comprehensive literature reviews of historical perspectives and evidence supporting cannabis/cannabinoids in the treatment of pain, including migraine and headache, with associated neurobiological mechanisms of pain modulation have been well described. Most of the existing literature reports on the cannabinoids Δ9 -tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), or cannabis in general. There are many cannabis strains that vary widely in the composition of cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, and other compounds. These components work synergistically to produce wide variations in benefits, side effects, and strain characteristics. Knowledge of the individual medicinal properties of the cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids is necessary to cross-breed strains to obtain optimal standardized synergistic compositions. This will enable targeting individual symptoms and/or diseases, including migraine, headache, and pain. Objective Review the medical literature for the use of cannabis/cannabinoids in the treatment of migraine, headache, facial pain, and other chronic pain syndromes, and for supporting evidence of a potential role in combatting the opioid epidemic. Review the medical literature involving major and minor cannabinoids, primary and secondary terpenes, and flavonoids that underlie the synergistic entourage effects of cannabis. Summarize the individual medicinal benefits of these substances, including analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. Conclusion There is accumulating evidence for various therapeutic benefits of cannabis/cannabinoids, especially in the treatment of pain, which may also apply to the treatment of migraine and headache. There is also supporting evidence that cannabis may assist in opioid detoxification and weaning, thus making it a potential weapon in battling the opioid epidemic. Cannabis science is a rapidly evolving medical sector and industry with increasingly regulated production standards. Further research is anticipated to optimize breeding of strain-specific synergistic ratios of cannabinoids, terpenes, and other phytochemicals for predictable user effects, characteristics, and improved symptom and disease-targeted therapies.
Soil heterotrophic respiration: Measuring and modeling seasonal variation and silvicultural impacts

Abstract To determine the effectiveness of forests in sequestering atmospheric carbon (C), we must know the amount of fixed carbon dioxide (CO2) that is subsequently lost due to heterotrophic microbial activity in the soil. Furthermore, the heterotrophic proportion of total soil respiration (Rs) must be quantified as it changes between different physiographic regions, seasons, and silvicultural treatments. This research quantified heterotrophic contributions to Rs in loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) plantations in the Piedmont (n = 3) and Upper Coastal Plain (n = 3) of the Southeastern USA under control, fertilized, and herbicide treatments over an annual cycle. Heterotrophic respiration (Rh) was separated in the field from autotrophic root respiration (Ra) using metal root-excluding collars. The Rh proportion of Rs was not significantly different between regions or treatments, but demonstrated some seasonal variance. The average Rh proportion across the study was found to be ∼73 ± 2% but ranged from ∼70% in winter, spring, and summer to 82% in the fall. Statistical models using microbial biomass, temperature, moisture, and other soil characteristics explained 82% and 75% of Rs and Rh variability, respectively. In contrast, the process based DAYCENT model, parameterized for each site to model Rs, Rh, and Rh proportion compared poorly to field measurements. Model predicted mean seasonal Rh proportions also extended beyond the range of those measured (65–88%) from 61 ± 1.3% to 94 ± 0.4%. DAYCENT performed slightly better (i.e., lower root mean square error) for Piedmont than Coastal Plain sites. DAYCENT does not simulate CO2 fluxes below 20 cm and may be missing substantial fluxes from deeper roots and microbial activity. The results from this study suggest that statistical models such as multiple regression may provide more accurate estimates of Rh proportion for regional extrapolation than the current formulation of the process based DAYCENT model. It is unclear, however, if either approach captures seasonal variation in Rh or how strongly Rh varies with season. Finally, the empirical field data suggest the use of fertilizer and herbicides in these ecosystems increases ecosystem productivity without increasing Rh, which results in an increase in net ecosystem productivity that may lead to greater rates of C sequestration.
Arabidopsis Myosins XI Are Involved in Exocytosis of Cellulose Synthase Complexes

ABSTRACT In plants, cellulose is synthesized at the cell surface by plasma membrane (PM)-localized cellulose synthase (CESA) complexes (CSCs). The molecular and cellular mechanisms that underpin delivery of CSCs to the PM, however, are poorly understood. Cortical microtubules have been shown to interact with CESA-containing compartments and mark the site for CSC delivery, but are not required for the delivery itself. Here, we demonstrate that myosin XI and the actin cytoskeleton mediate CSC delivery to the PM by coordinating the exocytosis of CESA-containing compartments. Measurement of cellulose content indicated that cellulose biosynthesis was significantly reduced in a myosin xik xi1 xi2 triple knockout (xi3KO) mutant. By combining genetic and pharmacological disruption of myosin activity with quantitative live-cell imaging, we observed decreased abundance of PM-localized CSCs and reduced delivery rate of CSCs in myosin-deficient cells. These phenotypes correlated with a significant increase in failed vesicle secretion events at the PM as well as an abnormal accumulation of CESA-containing compartments at the cell cortex. Through high spatiotemporal assays of cortical vesicle behavior, we identified defects in CSC vesicle tethering and fusion at the PM. Furthermore, disruption of myosin activity reduced the delivery of several other secretory markers to the PM and reduced constitutive and receptor-mediated endocytosis. These findings reveal a previously undescribed role for myosin in vesicle secretion and cellulose production at the cytoskeleton–PM–cell wall nexus.
Congressional Responsiveness to Public Concerns about Legislative Integrity

Public opinion polls typically show uniform support for reforms that aim to improve the ethical standards of Congress and its members. Although there is little variation in constituent support for such reforms, members of Congress (MCs) differ in the degree to which they prioritize the issue. What explains this variation? In this paper I propose a theory that grounds differences in member behavior in the different contexts MCs face in their initial election to the House. I argue MCs elected during times of low congressional approval, and MCs who defeat scandal-tainted members, enter Congress more committed to ensuring congressional integrity. Through an analysis of members’ sponsorship and cosponsorship activity on a newly-created dataset of “legislative integrity bills” I find support for this theory. In addition, I demonstrate reform-minded cohorts at times prove critical in moving congressional reform onto the agenda. The results shed light on when constituents can expect Congress to address their concerns about congressional integrity, and also provide insight into the role retrospective electoral considerations play in guiding MC behavior.
A Personal Journey in Petri Net Research

The author describes how he first learned about Petri Nets in graduate school, and then taught them himself at university in graduate-level courses on advanced software engineering, software specification, and software verification.
Two New Binary Calcium−Aluminum Compounds: Ca13Al14, with a Novel Two-Dimensional Aluminum Network, and Ca8Al3, an Fe3Al-Type Analogue1

Ca13Al14 and Ca8Al3 are obtained by fusion of the appropriate mixture of the elements in Ta containers at 1100 °C followed by annealing at 600 °C or slow cooling, respectively. The structures of both compounds were determined by single-crystal X-ray means. Ca13Al14 crystallizes with monoclinic symmetry (space group C2/m (no. 12), Z = 2, a = 15.551(4) A, b = 9.873(2) A, c = 9.726(2) A, β = 108.09(2)°), and Ca8Al3 has the triclinic Ca8In3-type structure (P1 (no. 2), Z = 2, a = 9.484(3) A, b = 9.592(3) A, c = 9.671(3) A, α = 99.02(3)°, β = 101.13(3)°, γ = 119.55(3)°). Ca13Al14 contains a two-dimensional Al network structure composed of planar hexagonal six-membered rings, planar rhombus (four-membered) rings, and trigonal three-membered rings. An electron count on the basis of the simple Zintl−Klemm formalism for three- and four-bonded Al in Ca13Al14 suggests the phase is closed shell. However, full band-structure calculations within the extended Huckel formalism indicate that it is metallic, with considera...
Understanding Stakeholder Interactions Impacting Human Spaceflight Funding Levels.

Human space exploration is an important endeavor for mankind. Exploration helps us to better understand our environment, offers the possibilities of new resources and the development of technologies to benefit humanity. Due to the complex nature of human spaceflight, programs are generally funded by governments using public funds. This paper uses a systems thinking framework to identify the key stakeholders in the human spaceflight funding system of interest, illuminate the interrelationships between the stakeholder’s interests and demonstrate stakeholder influence on human spaceflight funding levels. The systems thinking assessment of the human spaceflight funding system results in a Causal Loop Diagram which can be used as the starting point for a systems dynamic model.
HILL: A Hardware Isolation Framework Against Information Leakage on Multi-Tenant FPGA Long-Wires

FPGA has recently been deployed in the multi-tenant cloud to provide high-performance computing capabilities. Such deployment of FPGA creates a new attack surface for adversary. It has been recently demonstrated that the capacitive crosstalk between FPGA long-wires can be used as a side-channel to extract secret information. In this paper, we present HILL: a Hardware Isolation framework against information Leakage on multi-tenant FPGA Long-wires. As a defense framework, HILL can prioritize the placement and routing of security-critical hardware instances and isolate them from other parts and tenants. For data and communication interfaces that use FPGA long-wires, such as UART, PCIe, and AXI4, HILL employs a long-wire obfuscation technique to reduce the side-channel leakage. We evaluate the performance of HILL with Xilinx Artix-7 FPGAs using two prevalent FPGA development tools: Xilinx ISE 14.7 and Vivado 2018.3. The experimental results demonstrate that HILL can effectively reduce the crosstalk-caused side-channel leakage by 138 times. The long-wire obfuscation technique reduces the correlation between the side-channel leakage and secret key from 81.7% to 50.3%, which is close to random guess.
Effect of carbon-based nanoparticles on the ignition, combustion and flame characteristics of crude oil droplets

Abstract The use of in-situ burning (ISB) as a clean-up response in the event of an oil spill has generated controversy because of unburned hydrocarbons and products of incomplete combustion left behind on an ISB site. These substances threaten marine life, both in the ocean and on the ocean floor. Treating crude oil as a multicomponent liquid fuel, this manuscript investigates the effect of carbon-based nanomaterials, acetylene black (AB) and multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWNT), on the combustion and flame characteristics of crude sourced from the Bakken formation (ND, USA). Sub-millimeter droplets of colloidal suspensions of Bakken crude and nanomaterials at various particle loadings were burned, and the process was captured with CMOS and CCD cameras. The resulting images were post-processed to generate burning rate, ignition delay, total combustion time, and flame stand-off (FSR) ratio data for the various crude suspensions. A maximum combustion rate enhancement of 39.5% and 31.1% was observed at a particle loading of 0.5% w/w acetylene black nanoparticles and 0.5% w/w multi-walled carbon nanotubes, respectively. Generally, FSR for pure Bakken was noted as larger than for Bakken with nanoparticle additives. These results are expected to spur further investigations into the use of nanomaterials for ISB crude oil clean-ups.
Transvascular Fluid Fluxes During Severe, Prolonged Canine Hemorrhagic or Endotoxin Hypotension

This paper is an attempt to summarize our findings related to transvascular fluid fluxes in circulatory shock states. One aim was to determine if fluid filtration into tissue (especially skeletal muscle) during severe, prolonged hypotension is an important determinant of irreversibility in circulatory shock states resulting from blood loss or endotoxin. Experiments were conducted on mongrel dogs anesthetized with Na pentobarbital. The forelimb was selected as the test organ since it largely comprises skin and skeletal muscle. Since total body soft tissue mass is mainly composed of these two tissues, fluid fluxes in skin and skeletal muscle would be of paramount importance in shock states. Transvascular fluid fluxes in collateral-free, innervated, naturally perfused canine forelimbs were inferred from changes in organ weight and total and segmental (large artery, small vessel, large vein) vascular resistances (1–4). Brachial venous outflow was used as an index of skeletal muscle blood flow and cephalic venous outflow was used as an index of skin blood flow.
Non-coding Enumeration Operators

An enumeration operator maps each set A of natural numbers to a set \(E(A)\subseteq \mathbb {N}\), in such a way that E(A) can be enumerated uniformly from every enumeration of A. The maximum possible Turing degree of E(A) is therefore the degree of the jump \(A'\). It is impossible to have \(E(A)\equiv _T A'\) for all A, but possible to achieve this for all A outside a meager set of Lebesgue measure 0. We consider the properties of two specific enumeration operators: the HTP operator, mapping a set W of prime numbers to the set of polynomials realizing Hilbert’s Tenth Problem in the ring \(\mathbb {Z}[W^{-1}]\); and the root operator, mapping the atomic diagram of an algebraic field F of characteristic 0 to the set of polynomials in \(\mathbb {Z}[X]\) with roots in F. These lead to new open questions about enumeration operators in general.