cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Risk Analysis and Prognostics and Health Management for Smart Manufacturing

This paper harmonizes and builds upon methodologies for the fields of risk analysis and prognostics and health management (PHM) in smart manufacturing. It demonstrates that augmenting the theory, methodology, and current practice of both fields can add significant value to one another. This paper also proposes a novel methodology to be used during the design phase of implementing a PHM system for a manufacturing process. The purpose is to provide scope and direction for system design by identifying the most critical manufacturing components or subsystems that would most benefit from PHM. The methodology combines modified versions of hierarchical holographic modeling (HHM); risk filtering, ranking, and management (RFRM); and fault tree analysis (FTA). This paper walks through a case study within US manufacturing that serves to test and demonstrate the efficacy of the methodology.
The Great Recession and adverse birth outcomes: Evidence from California, USA.

Abstract Objectives Prior studies of the health effects of recessions have shown mixed results. Ecological studies often report a positive relationship between economic downturns and population health while individual-level studies often show that conditions related to recessions are deleterious. Our study examines the spatially and temporally heterogenous effects of the Great Recession (TGR) on adverse birth outcomes, a contemporaneous measure of population health that is highly responsive to changing social conditions. Methods We use restricted birth cohort data from California (2004–2012) merged with both county- and tract-level socio-demographic data, to explore birth selectivity and temporal and unemployment effects during TGR on adverse birth outcomes. Results We find that gestational exposure – more specifically, second trimester exposure – during or adjacent to the months of TGR was generally deleterious for birth outcomes, more so, in some cases, for mothers with lower levels of education, and that increases in county-level unemployment were generally deleterious for birth outcomes. Conclusions Although recessionary effects on population health are problematic and may have far-reaching effects, it appears that these effects may be largely universal, even given potential selective fertility favoring advantaged groups.
Airway management of angioedema patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abstract Importance The COVID-19 pandemic is characterized by high transmissibility from patients with prolonged minimally- or asymptomatic periods, with a particularly increased risk of spread during aerosol-generating procedures, including endotracheal intubation. Observations All patients presenting with upper airway obstruction due to angioedema during this time should be carefully managed in a way that is safest for both patient and provider. Conclusions For patients requiring emergent airway management during the COVID-19 pandemic, minimization of aerosols while taking the necessary precautions to protect healthcare workers should are critical principles for their management.
Dynamic Faceted Search for Technical Support Exploiting Induced Knowledge

IT support is a vital and integral part of technology adoption. Conventionally, IT support service providers heavily rely on human effort and expertise to respond to user queries. Given the cost-benefit and 24 \(\times \) 7 availability for answering user questions, Virtual Assistants (VA) are highly applicable in the technical support domain. In this paper, we describe a novel methodology for building interactive virtual assistants for IT support using Dynamic Faceted Search (DFS). Given a question, dynamic facets are generated automatically, enabling the user to refine and narrow down their intent. To do so we leverage knowledge automatically induced from textual content and existing Semantic Web resources such as Wikidata. Such knowledge is then used to dynamically generate facets interactively based on the user’s responses as shown in the demo video (https://ibm.box.com/v/iswc2020-dfs). The experiments on two real-world datasets in the IT support domain show the effectiveness of DFS in refining the user’s queries and efficiently identifying possible solutions to their technical problems.
Bioinformatic analysis and functional predictions of selected regeneration-associated transcripts expressed by zebrafish microglia

Unlike mammals, zebrafish have a remarkable capacity to regenerate a variety of tissues, including central nervous system tissue. The function of macrophages in tissue regeneration is of great interest, as macrophages respond and participate in the landscape of events that occur following tissue injury in all vertebrate species examined. Understanding macrophage populations in regenerating tissue (such as in zebrafish) may inform strategies that aim to regenerate tissue in humans. We recently published an RNA-seq experiment that identified genes enriched in microglia/macrophages in regenerating zebrafish retinas. Interestingly, a small number of transcripts differentially expressed by retinal microglia/macrophages during retinal regeneration did not have predicted orthologs in human or mouse. We reasoned that at least some of these genes could be functionally important for tissue regeneration, but most of these genes have not been studied experimentally and their functions are largely unknown. To reveal their possible functions, we performed a variety of bioinformatic analyses aimed at identifying the presence of functional protein domains as well as orthologous relationships to other species. Our analyses identified putative functional domains in predicted proteins for a number of selected genes. For example, we confidently predict kinase function for one gene, cytokine/chemokine function for another, and carbohydrate enzymatic function for a third. Predicted orthologs were identified for some, but not all, genes in species with described regenerative capacity, and functional domains were consistent with identified orthologs. Comparison to other published gene expression datasets suggest that at least some of these genes could be important in regenerative responses in zebrafish and not necessarily in response to microbial infection. This work reveals previously undescribed putative function of several genes implicated in regulating tissue regeneration. This will inform future work to experimentally determine the function of these genes in vivo, and how these genes may be involved in microglia/macrophage roles in tissue regeneration.
Association between Rainy Season and Diarrhea in 13- to 24-Month-Old Toddlers

Diarrhea is the second leading cause of death in children under five year and is considered a prevailing problem in many developing countries, including in Indonesia. Diarrhea is a multifactorial disease and season is suggested as one of the attributing factors of this disease. This study aimed to identify the association between the rainy season and diarrhea in 13- to 24-month-old toddlers. This was a cross-sectional analytical observational study on medical records of 13- to 24-month-old-toddlers with infectious diarrhea who visited Penjaringan I Sub-district Public Health Center, North Jakarta, Indonesia from 2016 to 2019 that included three cycles of the rainy and dry seasons. Data collection was performed in March 2020 and 286 medical records were included in the study. The relationship between the independent and dependent variables was analyzed using chi-square. Of the total cases, 83 cases occurred in rainy season and 203 cases occurred in dry season (p=0.291). Diarrhea was seen in girls aged13–16 months. There is no significant association between rainy season and diarrhea. Hubungan Musim Hujan dengan Diare pada Balita Usia 13–24 Bulan Diare merupakan penyebab kematian balita nomor dua di dunia yang masih menjadi masalah pada banyak negara berkembang, termasuk Indonesia. Diare adalah sebuah penyakit multifaktorial. Musim merupakan salah satu faktor yang mempengaruhi diare melalui dampaknya pada lingkungan. Penelitian ini bertujuan mengetahui hubungan musim hujan dengan kejadian diare pada usia 13–24 bulan. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian analitik observasional dengan metode potong lintang. Pengumpulan data dilakukan pada bulan Maret 2020 di Puskesmas Kelurahan Penjaringan I, Jakarta Utara, dengan menggunakan rekam medis periode tahun 2016–2019, yang meliputi masing-masing tiga siklus musim hujan dan musim kemarau. Sampel penelitian adalah usia 13–24 bulan yang didiagnosa dengan diare infeksi. Hubungan antara variabel independen dan dependen diuji menggunakan chi-square. Dari 286 rekam medis yang digunakan, 83 kasus terjadi sewaktu musim hujan dan 203 kasus terjadi sewaktu musim kemarau (p=0,291). Kejadian diare paling tinggi pada perempuan kelompok usia 13–16 bulan. Tidak terdapat hubungan bermakna antara musim hujan dengan kejadian diare.
Production of the Receptor-binding Domain of the Viral Spike Proteins from 2003 and 2019 SARS CoVs and the Four Common Human Coronaviruses for Serologic Assays and Inhibitor Screening

The recombinant receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the viral spike protein from SARS-CoV-1 and 2 are reliable antigens for detecting viral-specific antibodies in humans. We and others have shown that the levels of RBD-binding antibodies and SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies in patients are correlated. Here, we report the expression and purification of properly folded RBD proteins from SARS and common-cold HCoVs in mammalian cells. RBD proteins were produced with cleavable tags for affinity purification from the cell culture medium and to support multiple immunoassay platforms and drug discovery efforts. Graphic abstract: High-Yield Production of Viral Spike RBDs for Diagnostics and Drug Discovery.
When They Hear Us: Race, Algorithms and The Practice of Criminal Law

We are in the midst of a fraught debate in criminal justice reform circles about the merits of using algorithms. Proponents claim that these algorithms offer an objective path towards substantially lowering high rates of incarceration and racial and socioeconomic disparities without endangering community safety. On the other hand, racial justice scholars argue that these algorithms threaten to entrench racial inequity within the system because they utilize risk factors that correlate with historic racial inequities, and in so doing, reproduce the same racial status quo, but under the guise of scientific objectivity. This symposium keynote address discusses the challenge that the continued proliferation of algorithms poses to the pursuit of racial justice in the criminal justice system. I start from the viewpoint that racial justice scholars are correct about currently employed algorithms. However, I advocate that as long as we have algorithms, we should consider whether they could be redesigned and repurposed to counteract racial inequity in the criminal law process. One way that algorithms might counteract inequity is if they were designed by most impacted racially marginalized communities. Then, these algorithms might counterintuitively benefit these communities by endowing them with a democratic mechanism to contest the harms that the criminal justice system’s operation enacts on them.
Observation Versus Debridement of Unstable Chondral Lesions During Partial Meniscectomy: Analysis of Patient Outcomes and Degenerative Joint Disease at 5 Years in the Chondral Lesions And Meniscus Procedures (ChAMP) Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of debridement (CL-Deb) versus observation (CL-noDeb) of unstable chondral lesions on knee pain 5 years after arthroscopic partial meniscectomy (APM) in patients enrolled in the Chondral Lesions And Meniscus Procedures (ChAMP) Trial. Secondarily, other knee symptoms, function, general health, and the rate of additional surgery on the affected knee were examined. Methods Patients aged ≥30 years who had an unstable Outerbridge grade-II, III, or IV chondral lesion when undergoing APM were randomly allocated to the CL-Deb (n = 98) or CL-noDeb (n = 92) group; ∼80% in each group completed a 5-year follow-up. Outcomes were measured preoperatively and at 5 years postoperatively, and included the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), visual analog scale (VAS) for pain, Short Form-36 (SF-36), physical knee measurements, knee radiographs, and rate of additional knee surgery at 5 years. The primary outcome was the 5-year WOMAC pain score. Group comparisons were made using the t test for continuous outcomes and the Fisher exact test for categorical outcomes. Results There were no significant differences between the groups with respect to the primary outcome, the WOMAC pain score (CL-Deb: 86.0 [95% confidence interval (CI): 82.9 to 89.1]) versus CL-noDeb: 88.3 [95% CI: 85.5 to 91.1]; p = 0.27), or secondary outcomes at 5 years. There were also no differences in radiographic measurements of joint-space narrowing in any compartment (medial or lateral tibiofemoral or medial, central, or lateral patellofemoral) as well as no difference in the rate of additional knee surgery within 5 years after APM between the CL-Deb and CL-noDeb groups. Conclusions Outcomes for the CL-Deb and CL-noDeb groups did not differ at 5 years postoperatively, suggesting that there is no long-term benefit of arthroscopic debridement of chondral lesions encountered during APM. Level of evidence Therapeutic Level I. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
The Relationship between Instructors’ Teaching Contexts, Academic and Professional Backgrounds, and Their Uses of Class Time in Mathematics Content Courses for Elementary Teachers: Results of a National Survey

This article reports on a national survey of post-secondary mathematics instructors (n = 458) of mathematics courses designed for elementary teachers. The article links the use of various instructional practices to instructor characteristics. Specifically, there were statistically significant differences in reported use of class time depending on instructors’ subject and level of their degree, their experience teaching in preK–12 classrooms, and whether they perceived the institutions at which they taught as selective. Use of regression models with interactions demonstrate that the relationship between academic and professional background, teaching context, and use of class time was complex.
Bone marrow- or adipose-mesenchymal stromal cell secretome preserves myocardial transcriptome profile and ameliorates cardiac damage following ex vivo cold storage

Abstract Background Heart transplantation, a life-saving approach for patients with end-stage heart disease, is limited by shortage of donor organs. While prolonged storage provides more organs, it increases the extent of ischemia. Therefore, we seek to understand molecular mechanisms underlying pathophysiological changes of donor hearts during prolonged storage. Additionally, considering mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC)-derived paracrine protection, we aim to test if MSC secretome preserves myocardial transcriptome profile and whether MSC secretome from a certain source provides the optimal protection in donor hearts during cold storage. Methods and results Isolated mouse hearts were divided into: no cold storage (control), 6 h cold storage (6 h-I), 6 h-I + conditioned media from bone marrow MSCs (BM-MSC CM), and 6 h-I + adipose-MSC CM (Ad-MSC CM). Deep RNA sequencing analysis revealed that compared to control, 6 h-I led to 266 differentially expressed genes, many of which were implicated in modulating mitochondrial performance, oxidative stress response, myocardial function, and apoptosis. BM-MSC CM and Ad-MSC CM restored these gene expression towards control. They also improved 6 h-I-induced myocardial functional depression, reduced inflammatory cytokine production, decreased apoptosis, and reduced myocardial H2O2. However, neither MSC-exosomes nor exosome-depleted CM recapitulated MSC CM-ameliorated apoptosis and CM-improved mitochondrial preservation during cold ischemia. Knockdown of Per2 by specific siRNA abolished MSC CM-mediated these protective effects in cardiomyocytes following 6 h cold storage. Conclusions Our results demonstrated that using MSC secretome (BM-MSCs and Ad-MSCs) during prolonged cold storage confers preservation of the normal transcriptional "fingerprint", and reduces donor heart damage. MSC-released soluble factors and exosomes may synergistically act for donor heart protection.
On functional equations of the multiplicative type

Abstract This paper aims to determine the general solution f : F 2 → S of the equation f ( ϕ ( x , y , u , v ) ) = f ( x , y ) f ( u , v ) for suitable conditions on the function ϕ : F 4 → F 2 , where F will denote either R or C , and S is a multiplicative semigroup. Using this result, we determine the general solution of several functional equations studied earlier, namely f ( u x + v y , u y + v x ) = f ( x , y ) f ( u , v ) ; f ( u x + ( λ − 1 ) v y , v x + u y + ( λ − 2 ) v y ) = f ( x , y ) f ( u , v ) ; f ( u x − v y , u y − v x ) = f ( x , y ) f ( u , v ) ; f ( u x + v y , u y − v x ) = f ( x , y ) f ( u , v ) ; f ( u x + v y , u y − v x ) = f ( x , y ) f ( v , u ) ; and f ( u x − v y , u y + v ( x + y ) ) = f ( x , y ) f ( u , v ) .
Galloping Oscillations of Hysteretic Structures

The nature of the aerodynamic galloping oscillation of a hysteretic system is examined using approximate analytic and numerical techniques. It is shown that the hysteretic nonlinearity can have a marked effect on the amplitude and stability of the response. The presence of hysteretic damping of the type considered does not affect the value of the critical flow velocity at which the equilibrium position becomes unstable for certain linear systems. However, the hysteretic damping generally causes the system response to become unbounded above some finite flow velocity.
Responses to Stimulation

Unlike the previous section in which we were concerned with the examination of a variety of spontaneous or endogenous action potentials, the experiments in this section will involve stimulation. The first two (Experiments 8 and 9) require stimulation of the receptors of an animal with the energy type that they normally detect in nature (light, mechanical touch, or contact). In the first instance the recording is of the bioelectrical transducer action of the photoreceptors themselves; in the second case, the responses are detected from the giant internuncial fibers in the central nervous system to which the sensory fibers transmit their signals through synapses. In the normal course of events, these giant fibers would connect with motor fibers going to the periphery so that appropriate motor responses would occur. These actions comprise the elements of the classical stimulus-response chain and they are shown diagrammatically in Fig. 16.
Glycemic Effect of Nutritive Sweeteners: Honey, Sugar and High Fructose Corn Syrup

Controversy currently exists over whether all nutritive sweeteners produce similar metabolic effects. Using a randomized, crossover design we evaluated the effects of chronic consumption of 3 nutri...
Score Resistance, Hardness and Performance of Diffused Copper-Nickel-Tin Bearings

Current production steel-back, copper-lead bearings contain a nickel-barrier layer between the lead-tin babbitt overplate and copper-lead intermediate layer. When these bearings are used in heavy-duty engines, the nickel-barrier layer changes composition via diffusion of tin into the nickel. When the journal wears through the thin babbitt into the modified nickel-barrier layer, scoring distress occurs. The copper-nickel-tin ternary system was studied. Its liquidus isothermal phase diagram was developed; intermetallic compounds were located; hardness and score resistance maps were generated; and the copper-nickel-lead-tin quaternary composition of actual field bearings as a function of depth through the barrier layers was examined. A new tri-metal, nickel-tin-copper barrier was developed which changes the composition of the barrier to have acceptable score resistance and hardness. An engine test, in which coolant is added to the engine oil until scoring distress occurs, was devised to simulate the distress encountered in service. The new tri-metal barrier bearing outperformed all other materials tested.
Silicone frontalis slings for the correction of blepharoptosis: indications and efficacy.

Purpose: To determine the efficacy of silicone rod frontalis sling ptosis repair in selected patients. Methods: The authors retrospectively studied 35 consecutive patients who underwent silicone sling ptosis repairs in 61 lids at the University of California, San Francisco. Results: Preoperative diagnoses included congenital ptosis causing developmental delay or possible amblyopia in children younger than 3 years of age, chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia, third-nerve palsy, myasthenia gravis, and ocular restriction secondary to glaucoma filtering valves. With a mean follow-up of 22 months, good-to-excellent final lid height was achieved in all 61 lids. Recurrence of the ptosis occurred in four lids (7%), requiring replacement of the silicone rod in two lids and revision of the original sling in two lids to reach the final lid height. Chronic exposure keratopathy without corneal infection occurred postoperatively in 9 (15%) of 61 eyes, all in patients with an inadequate or absent Bell phenomenon. Chronic corneal problems did not develop in any of the children. Extrusion of the sling with or without infection occurred in three foreheads (5%) in two patients younger than 15 years of age. Conclusion: Silicone rod is an effective material for use in frontalis suspension in treating severe ptosis with poor levator function. Children younger than 3 years of age with congenital ptosis and developmental delay or possible amblyopia can undergo silicone frontalis suspension to achieve good visual results. The elasticity and ease of adjustment of the silicone rod are ideal characteristics for a suspensory material used to correct severe ptosis associated with a minimal or absent Bell phenomenon, such as in chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia, myasthenia gravis, or third-nerve palsy.
Voltage control of single magnetic domain nanoscale multiferroic heterostructure

Micromagnetic simulations of magnetoelastic nanostructures traditionally rely on either the Stoner-Wohlfarth model or the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert LLG model assuming uniform strain (and/or assuming uniform magnetization). While the uniform strain assumption is reasonable when modeling magnetoelastic thin films, this constant strain approach becomes increasingly inaccurate for smaller in-plane nanoscale structures. This paper presents analytical work verified with experimental data to significantly improve simulation of finite structures by fully coupling LLG with elastodynamics, i.e. the partial differential equations are intrinsically coupled. Analytical predictions for reorienting a single domain element is also described.
Distribution Theory of Nuclear Level Densities and Related Quantities

The concepts and methods applied in the usual theories of nuclear level densities are so different from those used in studying nuclear properties in the ground-state domain that contacts between the two activities have been disappointingly few. In the ground-state region the detailed nature of the effective Hamiltonian, and the detailed results which flow from it, are paramount, and the spectroscopist working there has not been much interested in average properties such as level densities. In the neutron-threshold region, and at higher excitation energies, averages (and fluctuations about them) have been of major interest. Since it is not feasible to do conventional detailed spectroscopy in the extremely large model spaces encountered at high excitation, the result has been that the spectroscopist has mainly continued to work at low energy, while the person whose interests lie higher has been compelled to use quite different methods. These methods in particular have required him to ignore the residual interaction effects (except insofar as they are taken account of by choice of single-particle energies and the use of BCS quasiparticles as the basic fermions).
Kinetic Monte Carlo simulations of excitation density dependent scintillation in CsI and CsI(Tl)

Nonlinear quenching of electron–hole pairs in the denser regions of ionization tracks created by γ-ray and high-energy electrons is a likely cause of the light yield non-proportionality of many inorganic scintillators. Therefore, kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) simulations were carried out to investigate the scintillation properties of pure and thallium-doped CsI as a function of electron–hole pair density. The availability of recent experimental data on the excitation density dependence of the light yield of CsI following ultraviolet excitation allowed for an improved parameterization of the interactions between self-trapped excitons (STE) in the KMC model via dipole–dipole Forster transfer. The KMC simulations reveal that nonlinear quenching occurs very rapidly (within a few picoseconds) in the early stages of the scintillation process. In addition, the simulations predict that the concentration of thallium activators can affect the extent of nonlinear quenching as it has a direct influence on the STE density through STE dissociation and electron scavenging. This improved model will enable more realistic simulations of the non-proportional γ-ray and electron response of inorganic scintillators.
Economic Development and Environmental Sustainability: A Study of Peru's Camisea Natural Gas Project

There has been a substantial amount written about the interplay between economic development and the environment. Some have determined that the relationship between the two results in a bell-shaped curve that is now popularly known as the Environmental Kuznets Curve. Such seems to be the case with Peru when data for gross real domestic income and carbon dioxide are examined. However, this was before the construction of the major natural gas pipeline, the Camisea pipeline also known as the Camisea project. The resistance against its construction from the local population with the backing of various environmental groups is a sign of its potential for damaging the environment. This can invariably be avoided if the Peruvian government, from the outset, adopts a policy mix of regulatory enforcement, 'greener' technology adoption and performance monitoring.
John Stuart Mill: A Biography

1. Childhood and early education: the great experiment (1806-20) 2. Company man and youthful propaganda (1821-6) 3. Crisis (1826-30) 4. The discovery of romance and romanticism (1830-40) 5. The transitional essays 6. Intellectual success (1840-5) 7. Worldly success (1846-50) 8. Private years (1850-9) 9. The memorial essays: utilitarianism, representative government, on liberty 10. Public intellectual (1859-69) 11. Last years (1869-73).
View-factors leading to the simulation of human heat stress and radiant exchange: An algorithm

A computer program (STREET) is developed for determining radiation view-factors for a person in an urban canyon. The algorithm is based on view-factor measurements and requires neither simplifiying assumptions regarding human shape nor expensive integrations of analytical expressions. Calculations indicate that the street surface dominates others at most positions within the canyon. View-factors to individual surfaces vary by as much as a factor of two with location and are generally not related to surface area. Surface areas should not be used as surrogates for view-factors in an outdoor setting.
Ten Hills Farm: The Forgotten History of Slavery in the North – By C. S. Manegold

In recent years, specialists and nonspecialists alike have turned their attention to the subject of race‐based slavery in the northern colonies and states. From literary scholars, to race theorists...
Factors Affecting the Antigenicity of Trichophyton rubrum

Nitrogen determinations, performed upon the mycelia of Trichophyton rubrum, indicated that both the total nitrogen to mycelial weight ratio and the protein nitrogen to mycelial weight ratio decreased as the age of the mycelia increased. An increase in nitrogen concentration in the medium produced an increase in the total nitrogen to mycelia weight ratio, but did not necessarily increase the protein nitrogen to mycelial weight ratio. The optimal nitrogen source concentration which produced the highest protein nitrogen to mycelium ratio was found to be considerably less than that recommended in most standard Sabouraud medium formulations. Antisera to antigen preparations, grown on low concentrations of Multipeptone, produced more lines in the gel diffusion reaction than did antisera to antigens grown on standard concentrations of Multipeptone. Antisera to antigenic preparations from 2-week-old mycelia exhibited better and sometimes more lines than those of antigens prepared from 1- or 3-week-old mycelia, regardless of the nitrogen concentration in the medium. Dialysis and storage of the antigen produced no change in the quality of the precipitin lines, even though both processes involved considerable loss of Lowry protein. Immunofluorescence studies showed that young mycelia were more antigenic than the old mycelia, since a substantial degree of cell wall fluorescence was exhibited by the young mycelia, especially at the hyphal tips. Older mycelia lacked this fluorescence. An extracellular antigen was also found to be associated with the young mycelia, but cytoplasmic fluorescence was not observed.
New fast inverse QR least squares adaptive algorithms

The paper presents two new, closely related adaptive algorithms for LS system identification. The starting point for the derivation of the algorithms is the inverse Cholesky factor of the data correlation matrix, obtained via a QR decomposition (QRD). Both are of O(p) computational complexity with p being the order of the system. The first algorithm is a fixed order QRD scheme with enhanced parallelism. The second is a lattice type algorithm based on Givens rotations, with lower complexity compared to previously derived ones.
9. Experimental Methods in Electron- and Photon-Stimulated Desorption

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the theoretical developments and experimental advances in electron-stimulated desorption (ESD) and photon-stimulated desorption (PSD). It explains the basic experimental methodology of ESD and PSD; experimental techniques and the applications and examples developed and employed are also discusses in the chapter. The chapter also describes ESD/PSD as perturbing effects in surface analysis. It emphasizes on the ESD/PSD applications to the adsorbed monolayers on surfaces. Beam effects in surface analysis that involve “deeper” damage is also discussed in the chapter. Finally, it concludes that the experimental methods based on electron or photon irradiation of surfaces are myriad. However, in all cases the experimentalist must be aware that the beams are capable of severely perturbing the surface under study. The accompanying ESD/PSD effects can be either a blessing or a curse, but they cannot be ignored. This chapter describes the physics and chemistry of ESD/PSD processes, as well as their measurement and control.
Students' Alternate Conceptions on Acids and Bases

Knowing what students bring to the classroom can and should influence how we teach them. This study is a review of the literature associated with secondary and postsecondary students' ideas about acids and bases. It was found that there are six types of alternate ideas about acids and bases that students hold. These are: macroscopic properties of acids and bases, microscopic properties of acids and bases, neutralization, acid strength, pH, and titration.
Diminished chord: a protocol for heterogeneous subgroup formation in peer-to-peer networks

In most of the P2P systems developed so far, all nodes play essentially the same role. In some applications, however, different machine capabilities or owner preferences may mean that only a subset of nodes in the system should participate in offering a particular service. Arranging for each service to be supported by a different peer to peer network is, we argue here, a wasteful solution. Instead, we propose a version of the Chord peer-to-peer protocol that allows any subset of nodes in the network to jointly offer a service without forming their own Chord ring. Our variant supports the same efficient join/leave/insert/delete operations that the subgroup would get if they did form their own separate peer to peer network, but requires significantly less resources than the separate network would. For each subgroup of k machines, our protocol uses O(k) additional storage in the primal Chord ring. The insertion or deletion of a node in the subgroup and the lookup of the next node of a subgroup all require O(log n) hops.
The use of statistics in heart rhythm research: a review

In this article, we provide a brief review of key statistical concepts/methods that are commonly used in heart rhythm research, including concepts such as standard deviation, standard error, confidence interval, statistical/clinical significance, correlation coefficients, multiple comparisons, cohort and case-control studies, and missing data, as well as methods such as statistical hypothesis testing, receiver operating characteristic curve, binary vs time-to-event outcome, competing risk methods, and analysis of correlated data. We also make recommendations on how related statistical procedures should be applied and results should be reported.
Male-biased sex ratio increases female egg laying and fitness in the housefly, Musca domestica

A biased operational sex ratio (OSR) can have multiple, confounding effects on reproductive fitness. A biased OSR can increase harassment and mating activity directed towards potential mates but may also increase the ability of potential mates to choose a good partner if lower quality mates are screened out through competitive interactions. Additionally, a biased OSR may affect reproductive fitness through changes in male ejaculate content or in female reproductive response. We quantified how a male-biased OSR (1:1, 2:1, or 5:1 male to female) affected the size of a female’s first egg clutch and her offspring’s survivorship in the housefly, Musca domestica. A male-biased OSR increased female fitness: females laid more eggs in their first clutch, had increased offspring survivorship at a 2:1 versus 1:1 OSR, and had equivalent fitness with a 5:1 male to female OSR. Courtship activity increased when the OSR was male-biased but was not a significant predictor of female fitness. Trials where females chose their mates versus trials where a random male was chosen for them had equivalent first clutch sizes and offspring survivorship. These results suggest that there are cryptic effects from a male-biased OSR on female fitness that are most likely driven by pre-copulatory social environment.
Tangential discontinuities and the optical analogy for stationary fields II. The optical analogy

Abstract It is shown that any stationary three-dimensional velocity field or magnetic field is a potential field in the two dimensional subspace of the Bernoulli surfaces S(Q) or isobaric surfaces S(p), respectively. From this it is shown that the streamlines and the lines of force follow the optical ray paths in S(Q) and S(p) for indices of refraction v and B, respectively. This formal analogy shows how the lines are refracted by variations of the pressure applied by the fluid and field on either side. In particular, it is shown how continuous variations of the pressure produce discontinuities (bifurcations) in the field, forming tangential discontinuities.
Transport properties of liquid crystal doped films of polyvinylferrocene

Abstract The incorporation of the room temperature nematic phase 4-pentyl, 4′-cyano-biphenyl (K-15) into films of polyvinylferrocene is shown to substantially alter the rate of charge transport through the polymer film. The temperature dependence of the effect is especially dramatic above and below the nematic/isotropic transition temperature of K-15 (36°C). The observed effects are attributed to changes in the diffusion coefficient of the immobilized ferrocene groups due to changes in the viscosity of the film as well as to aggregation. In some cases, a split ferrocene wave was observed and this was attributed to aggregation effects of the ferrocene sites with K-15. At K-15 concentrations below 1.3 mM the data indicates a 1:2 K-15/ferrocene aggregate and 1:1 at higher K-15 concentrations.
32P-postlabeling of 1,3-butadiene and 4-vinyl-1-cyclohexene metabolite-DNA adducts: in vitro and in vivo applications

Abstract Epoxides of 1,3-butadiene i.e. 1,2-epoxy-3-butene and 1,2:3,4-diepoxybutane are DNA-reactive metabolites. No methods have been reported for detecting DNA adducts of these compounds in exposed animals or humans. The purpose of this study has been to develop a 32 P-postlabeling assay for adducts of 1,3-butadiene and its dimer, 4-vinyl-1-cyclohexene. The assay was applied to skin DNA of mice exposed topically to diepoxides of these dienes. A dose-dependent increase in in vivo adduct formation was observed for both compounds. The newly developed assay will find applications in mechanistic studies on these and related compounds and in human biomonitoring.
A Multiplicative Weights Mechanism for Privacy-Preserving Data Analysis

We consider statistical data analysis in the interactive setting. In this setting a trusted curator maintains a database of sensitive information about individual participants, and releases privacy-preserving answers to queries as they arrive. Our primary contribution is a new differentially private multiplicative weights mechanism for answering a large number of interactive counting (or linear) queries that arrive online and may be adaptively chosen. This is the first mechanism with worst-case accuracy guarantees that can answer large numbers of interactive queries and is {\em efficient} (in terms of the runtime's dependence on the data universe size). The error is asymptotically \emph{optimal} in its dependence on the number of participants, and depends only logarithmically on the number of queries being answered. The running time is nearly {\em linear} in the size of the data universe. As a further contribution, when we relax the utility requirement and require accuracy only for databases drawn from a rich class of databases, we obtain exponential improvements in running time. Even in this relaxed setting we continue to guarantee privacy for {\em any} input database. Only the utility requirement is relaxed. Specifically, we show that when the input database is drawn from a {\em smooth} distribution — a distribution that does not place too much weight on any single data item — accuracy remains as above, and the running time becomes {\em poly-logarithmic} in the data universe size. The main technical contributions are the application of multiplicative weights techniques to the differential privacy setting, a new privacy analysis for the interactive setting, and a technique for reducing data dimensionality for databases drawn from smooth distributions.
Logic gates and computation from assembled nanowire building blocks.

Miniaturization in electronics through improvements in established “top-down” fabrication techniques is approaching the point where fundamental issues are expected to limit the dramatic increases in computing seen over the past several decades. Here we report a “bottom-up” approach in which functional device elements and element arrays have been assembled from solution through the use of electronically well-defined semiconductor nanowire building blocks. We show that crossed nanowire p-n junctions and junction arrays can be assembled in over 95% yield with controllable electrical characteristics, and in addition, that these junctions can be used to create integrated nanoscale field-effect transistor arrays with nanowires as both the conducting channel and gate electrode. Nanowire junction arrays have been configured as key OR, AND, and NOR logic-gate structures with substantial gain and have been used to implement basic computation.
Application Of A Reflection Technique For Improved Temporal Resolution With Dynamic And ECG-gated Computed Tomography

A new approach to the reconstruction of images with limited data from rotary fan-beam computed tomography (CT) scanners is presented. The missing views are estimated by reflecting the data obtained at source positions in the range (l80±fan angle) away from the desired viewing angle. Due to asymmetry of the source/ detector geometry the "reflected" views may be offset from the desired views and additional corrections are required. Measured and "reflected" views are convolved and backprojected using the standard fan-beam geometry reconstruction algorithm. This method is used to reconstruct 1.8 second images from a rotary fan-beam scanner which rotates 360° in 3 seconds, providing improved temporal resolution for dynamic CT studies with no increase in noise at a constant radiation exposure. In addition, the method is applied to ECG-gated cardiac imaging, reducing the scanning interval required for generating systolic and diastolic images by a factor of 40%.© (1979) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Small‐angle x‐ray scattering from poly(tetramethyl‐p‐silphenylene) siloxane (TMPS) fractions

Small-angle x-ray scattering studies were made on bulk-crystallized samples and annealed oriented films of TMPS. The temperature dependence of the small-angle scattering was determined over a range of annealing conditions. The effect of sample molecular weight on the small-angle peaks was also studied. The peak intensity, measured at room temperature after annealing, was strongly dependent on the annealing conditions. The position of the peak gradually moved to smaller angles (larger d spacings) as the annealing temperature was raised. Surface free energies were deduced from the melting point dependence of the crystallite size. This surface energy was found to increase with molecular weight in accord with values deduced for spherulite growth rate-temperature dependence.
Statistical power in operations management research

Abstract This paper discusses the need and importance of statistical power analysis in field-based empirical research in Production and Operations Management (POM) and related disciplines. The concept of statistical power analysis is explained in detail and its relevance in designing and conducting empirical experiments is discussed. Statistical power reflects the degree to which differences in sample data in a statistical test can be detected. A high power is required to reduce the probability of failing to detect an effect when it is present. This paper also examines the relationship between statistical power, significance level, sample size and effect size. A probability tree analysis further explains the importance of statistical power by showing the relationship between Type II errors and the probability of making wrong decisions in statistical analysis. A power analysis of 28 articles (524 statistical tests) in the Journal of Operations Management and in Decision Sciences shows that 60% of empirical studies do not have high power levels. This means that several of these tests will have a low degree of repeatability. This and other similar issues involving statistical power will become increasingly important as empirical studies in POM study relatively smaller effects.
Accessibility vs. security: A look at the demand for computer security

The central objective of any security system is the ability to prevent undesired access, while still allowing authorized access to information. As computer usage expands into more areas and the number and variety of users increase, we expect to see an increased demand for more complex security provisions. The purpose of this study is to examine existing attitudes toward this trade-off. A nationwide survey is used to examine current demands for information security systems. Analysis shows that there is a strong demand today for more complex security provisions. The study also reveals that, although most of the respondents are satisfied with their existing security systems, over one-fourth are dissatisfied. This paper also examines the security demands by industry, functional area of the respondent, types of computer, and by number of employees.
Photo-cross-linking of rabbit skeletal troponin I deletion mutants with troponin C and its thiol mutants: the inhibitory region enhances binding of troponin I fragments to troponin C.

Contraction of vertebrate striated muscle is regulated by the strong Ca(2+)-dependent interaction between troponin I (TnI) and troponin C (TnC). To critically evaluate this interaction, we generated four recombinant deletion fragments of rabbit fast skeletal TnI: the NH2-terminal fragment (TnI1-94), the NH2 terminus and the inhibitory region (TnI1-120), the inhibitory region and the COOH terminus (TnI96-181), and the COOH-terminal fragment (TnI122-181) containing amino acid residues 1-94, 1-120, 96-181, and 122-181, respectively. Native TnC and seven thiol mutants, containing single cysteine residues in the two globular domains and in the central helix of TnC, e.g., Cys-12, Cys-21, Cys-57, Cys-89, Cys-122, Cys-133, and Cys-158, were labeled with 4-maleimidobenzophenone, and their interaction with the recombinant TnI fragments and the synthetic inhibitory peptide (TnI98-114, residues 98-114) was studied by photo-cross-linking. Extensive cross-linking occurred between various domains of TnC and TnI. The cross-linking patterns (a) showed that both NH2- and COOH-terminal fragments of TnI are accessible to both of the globular domains of TnC, (b) indicated that linkage of the NH2- and COOH-terminal sequences to the inhibitory region of TnI (TnIir) caused marked enhancement of cross-linking with native TnC and all seven thiol mutants, and (c) identified the region in TnC where TnIir binds as that containing residues 98, 133, 158, and 57. Thus, the results suggest that TnI and TnC may adopt flexible and dynamic conformations in which multiple interactions involving various domains of the two polypeptides occur and TnIir acting as a linker facilitates these interactions. The interaction of TnI and its fragments with actin, TnC, and TnT, considered together with the biological activity indicates that residues 96-120 represent a key structural and functional region of TnI. Whereas the NH2-terminal region of TnI stabilizes binding to TnC and TnT, the COOH-terminal region stabilizes TnC and actin binding.
Study of the role of iron in the anticryptococcal activity of human serum and fluconazole

Anticryptococcal activity of human serum and apotransferrin in RPMI 1640 was studied in vitro. The effects of varying concentrations of FeCl3 on this activity was investigated. Possible synergy of serum and apotransferrin with fluconazole was also measured. The fungistatic activity of human serum, whether lyophilized, stored at 4 °C, fresh frozen or purchased from commercial sources vs. Cryptococcus neoformans was comparable. There was no significant loss of fungistatic activity after freezing and thawing the serum up to 10 times. The fungistatic activity of human serum was similar when tested in different tissue culture media with the exception of Medium 199. The addition of apotransferrin (2.0 or 0.2 mg/ml) to RPMI 1640 had an inhibitory effect on cryptococcal growth. This effect was reversed by 20 μM of FeCl3 at both apotransferrin concentrations. By contrast, addition of FeCl3 to human serum and RPMI 1640 did not reverse inhibition of growth. Fluconazole synergized with the human serum preparations described, but not with pooled commercial serum, for fungicidal activity. Synergistic activity of fluconazole and human serum was not affected by the addition of FeCl3. Apotransferrin did not show any synergistic fungicidal activity with fluconazole.