cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rate control of MPEG video coding and recording by rate-quantization modeling

For MPEG video coding and recording applications, it is important to select the quantization parameters at slice and macroblock levels to produce consistent quality image for a given bit budget. A well-designed rate control strategy can improve the overall image quality for video transmission over a constant-bit-rate channel and fulfil the editing requirement of video recording, where a certain number of new pictures are encoded to replace consecutive frames on the storage media using, at most, the same number of bits. We developed a feedback re-encoding method with a rate-quantization model, which can be adapted to changes in picture activities. The model is used for quantization parameter selection at the frame and slice level. The extra computations needed are modest. Experiments show the accuracy of the model and the effectiveness of the proposed rate control method. A new bit allocation algorithm is then proposed for MPEG video coding.
Poincar&#233; sphere representation of partially polarized fields

The use of points on the surface of the poincare sphere to represent the polarization state of fully polarized electromagnetic fields is extended to partially polarized fields by representing their polarization by points inside the sphere. The coordinates of a point \bar{W} representing the polarization state are shown to be simply related to the Stokes parameters. The center of the sphere represents a completely unpolarized wave, and the degree of polarization is given by the distance of the point \bar{W} from the center of the sphere. A simple formula is derived for calculating the power received by an antenna illuminated by a partially polarized wave. A method is described for measuring the polarization state by a number of intensity measurements.
Biophysical Ecology and Heat Exchange in Insects

When used with observations of behavior and physiology of animals in known microclimates, a biophysical approach is a powerful tool for predicting body temperatures of insects. For ectothermic insects, solution of the energy budget equation and use of operative temperature models have been used to determine the range of temperatures which an insect can exhibit in a given environment. Knowledge of body temperature has allowed predictions of when important behaviors arepossible in the field, thereby directly relating biophysical models to fitness parameters of animals. A proper understanding of the physiological mechanism(s) controlling heat exchange is prerequisite to application and interpretation of information obtained using biophysical techniques. For endothermic insects, physiological regulation of heat exchange forces a more complicated analysis. Evaluation of thoracic heat exchange alone (aside from indicating whether insects are regulating Tth) is of little utility for either quantifying total heat exchange, or evaluating thermoregulatory mechanisms without further information. Further studies of biophysics and physiology of endothermic insects during flight are needed to correct these deficiencies. Application of biophysical techniques has allowed predictions of behavior of flying insects based onprinciples of heat exchange which cannot be examined directly. Analyses of endothermy of restinghoneybee swarms and hives indicate that these “superorganisms” regulate temperature rather precisely over a remarkable range of environmental temperature using mechanisms equivalent to thoseused by resting endothermic vertebrates.
The Influence of Dating Violence on Adolescent Girls’ Educational Experiences:

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of dating violence on adolescent girls’ educational experiences and relationships with peers, family members, and school personnel. We used a constructivist–interpretivist research paradigm and conducted semistructured interviews with 19 adolescent female participants who experienced abuse from a dating partner during the past year. Using grounded theory analytical methods, findings included identification of specific types of abuse girls experienced in different contexts, what strategies girls used to cope with the abuse, how girls made meaning of their abuse experiences, and the subsequent consequences of the abuse on girls’ health, relationships, self-concepts, and school experiences. Implications for school- and family-based interventions and dating violence research are provided.
Visualizations of Buoyancy Driven Mixing

A collection of visualizations that convey a basic understanding of buoyancy-driven mixing is presented. Buoyancy-driven mixing resulting from the Rayleigh-Taylor instability occurs in a unstably stratified flow when a heavy fluid rests above a light fluid. The difficulty of creating an unstable density stratification and repeatable fluid interface has made studying the Rayleigh-Taylor instability a challenging task. Our experiments utilize a water channel and most recently a gas channel (low speed wind tunnel). The experimental configuration allows unstable perturbations to develop into a mixing layer as they travel downstream. Thus resulting in a repeatable experiment and statistically steady flow. Various visualization techniques have been used to observe the development of the Rayleigh-Taylor instability. Visualizations using Nigrosene dye as a fluid marker are shown in the evolution of single and binary mode perturbations due to the Rayleigh-Taylor instability. In contrast, visualizations of the Rayleigh-Taylor instability developed from multi-mode perturbations are seen for the gas channel using both fog and smoke to visualize the flow. Together these techniques help provide an understanding for the nature and complexity of buoyancy driven mixing.© 2005 ASME
The Gospel of the Soil: Southern Agrarian Resistance and the Productive Future of Food

The Southern Agrarian movement began with a consortium of writers and intellectuals who argued for Southern sovereignty during the 1930s. Fearing the forces of industrial capitalism, the Southern Agrarians argued that the technocractic mass culture of the Northeast would exterminate Southern identity. The following analysis demonstrates that even though their attempts to establish Southern sovereignty were unsuccessful, these writers reconfigured agrarian space as a sphere of political resistance against growing technologic materialism. This analysis culminates in an exploration of the way that this vision blended heterotopian space and sacred reawakening, creating a new agrarian rhetoric that would influence later generations.
Will the Unemployment Rate Fall with a Robust Forecast for the U.S. Current Account Balance

This paper investigates the relationship between the U.S. current account balance and the U.S. rate of unemployment. Would the improvement in the current account balance cause a fall in the unemployment rate? Although previous researchers argued that U.S. current account balance does not influence U.S. unemployment rate, this article shows that these two are statistically correlated. This article also suggests policy recommendations that benefit both the employment level and the U.S. current account balance.
A 205 μm [N II] MAP OF THE CARINA NEBULA

We present the results of a � 250 arcmin 2 mapping of the 205 �m [NII] fine-structure emission over the northern Carina Nebula, including the Car I and Car II HII regions. Spectra were obtained using the South Pole Imaging Fabry-Perot Interferometer (SPIFI) at the Antarctic Submillimeter Telescope and Remote Observatory (AST/RO) at South Pole. We supplement the 205 �m data with new reductions of far-IR fine-structure spectra from the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) Long Wavelength Spectrometer (LWS) in 63 �m [OI], 122 �m [NII], 146 �m [OI], and 158 �m [CII]; the 146 �m [OI] data include 90 raster positions which have not been previously published. Morphological comparisons are made with optical, radio continuum and CO maps. The 122/205 line ratio is used to probe the density of the low-ionization gas, and the 158/205 line ratio is used to probe the fraction of C + arising from photodissociation regions (PDRs). The [OI] and [CII] lines are used to construct a PDR model of Carina. When the PDR properties are compared with other sources, Carina is found to be more akin to 30 Doradus than galactic star-forming regions such as Orion, M17, or W49; this is consistent with the view of Carina as a more evolved region, where much of the parent molecular cloud has been ionized or swept away. These data constitute the first ground-based detection of the 205 �m [NII] line, and the third detection overall since those of the COBE FIRAS and the KAO in the early 1990s. Subject headings: HII regions — infrared: ISM — ISM: individual (Carina nebula) — ISM: lines and bands — photon-dominated region (PDR) — submillimeter: ISM
Does substance use affect reliabilities of the Implicit Association Test

The authors examined whether use of alcohol or marijuana affected reliability of the Implicit Association Test (IAT; A. G. Greenwald, D. E. McGhee, & J. L. K. Schwartz, 1998). Consistent with research indicating the possibility that marijuana use depletes cognitive resources, the authors found worse reliabilities for participants who recently used marijuana than for those who had not. Recent alcohol users and nonusers demonstrated similar IAT reliability. Subsequent analyses indicated that reliability differences between marijuana users and nonusers were most pronounced when participants began with incongruous tasks and then switched to congruous tasks. Results were consistent with work on the residual costs of task switching that indicates that effortful tasks promote interference with tasks that follow. The authors discussed results in terms of IAT scoring procedures and the prevalence of use of alcohol and marijuana on university campuses.
Collagen solubility correlates with skin optical clearing

Biomedical optics and photomedicine applications are challenged by the turbidity of most biological tissue systems. Nonreactive, biocompatible chemical agents can induce a reversible reduction in optical scattering of collagenous tissues such as human skin. Herein we show that a chemical agent's tissue optical clearing potential is directly related to its collagen solubility, providing a rational design basis for effective, percutaneous formulations.
Resource-bounded Baire category: a stronger approach

The paper introduces a new definition of resource-bounded Baire category in the style of Lutz (1987, 1990, 1992) . This definition gives an almost-all/almost-none theory of various complexity classes. The meagerness/comeagerness of many more classes can be resolved in the new definition than in previous definitions. For example, almost no sets in EXP are EXP-complete, and NP is PF-meager unless NP=EXP. It is also seen under the new definition that no rec-random set can be (recursively) tt-reducible to any PF-generic set. We weaken our definition by putting arbitrary bounds on the length of extension strategies, obtaining a spectrum of different theories of Baire category that includes Lutz's original definition.
Co-occurrence, interest, and fuzzy events

The objective of data mining is to discover new and interesting relationships among the data in large databases. The relationships are expressed in terms of predicates that describe properties of the data. The two most common types of data relationships, co-occurrence and deviation from expectation, are assessed based on the number or distribution of the tuples in the database that are examples of the predicates. Fuzzy predicates were introduced into the partitioning of attribute domains to produce smooth transitions between classes and to facilitate the modeling with linguistic terms. When predicates are fuzzy, a tuple may partially satisfy a predicate and the notion of being an example is also fuzzy. For mining fuzzy relationships, the standard measures of validity for crisp predicates have been extended to fuzzy predicates based on the cardinality of fuzzy sets or on the degree to which the tuples satisfy a fuzzy implication. In this paper we use the notions of fuzzy events and fuzzy partitions to better understand the variations of the validity measures for relationships between fuzzy predicates.
Speech and vocational rehabilitation of the laryngectomized patient.

Eighty-five patients underwent total laryngectomy or total laryngectomy in continuity with a radical neck dissection during the five year period 1964 through 1968. Forty-eight patients (56.4%) were able to learn esophageal speech; six were rated as excellent, 25 as good, eight as fair, and nine as poor. Nineteen patients (22.4%) who either could not learn esophageal speech or had no desire to learn were able to communicate with the aid of an electronic speaking device. Of the 53 patients gainfully employed outside the home prior to surgery, only 22 were able to return to work. Forty of the 48 patients who learned esophageal speech were gainfully employed outside the home before surgery, but only 19 (47%) were able to return to work.
Learning Shuffle Ideals Under Restricted Distributions

The class of shuffle ideals is a fundamental sub-family of regular languages. The shuffle ideal generated by a string set U is the collection of all strings containing some string u ∈ U as a (not necessarily contiguous) subsequence. In spite of its apparent simplicity, the problem of learning a shuffle ideal from given data is known to be computationally intractable. In this paper, we study the PAC learn-ability of shuffle ideals and present positive results on this learning problem under element-wise independent and identical distributions and Markovian distributions in the statistical query model. A constrained generalization to learning shuffle ideals under product distributions is also provided. In the empirical direction, we propose a heuristic algorithm for learning shuffle ideals from given labeled strings under general unrestricted distributions. Experiments demonstrate the advantage for both efficiency and accuracy of our algorithm.
Welfare Reforms, Labour Markets and Inter-Firm Relations in South Korea since 1997: An Inter-Institutional Approach

This study explores the paradoxical consequences of social welfare reforms in South Korea since the 1997 financial crisis. Despite efforts to implement a comprehensive social insurance system (SIS), the South Korean government did not succeed in providing access to people who qualified for aid. This study examines the dynamics of the implementation of the SIS in relation to the policy domains of labour markets and inter-firm relations, rather than a narrow focus on social welfare policies. This study shows how the implementation of the SIS becomes self-eroding as a result of various actors’ exploitation of tensions between the SIS and other institutional domains.
Fluxes of microbes, organic aerosols, dust, sea-salt Na ions, non-sea-salt Ca ions, and methanesulfonate onto Greenland and Antarctic ice

Abstract. Using a spectrofluorimeter with 224-nm laser excitation and six emission bands from 300 to 420 nm to measure fluorescence intensities at 0.3-mm depth intervals in ice cores, we report results of the first comparative study of concentrations of microbial cells (using the spectrum of protein-bound tryptophan (Trp) as a proxy) and of aerosols with autofluorescence spectra different from Trp (denoted "non-Trp") as a function of depth in ice cores from West Antarctica (WAIS Divide and Siple Dome) and Greenland (GISP2). The ratio of fluxes of microbial cells onto West Antarctic (WAIS Divide) versus Greenland sites is 0.13±0.06; the ratio of non-Trp aerosols onto WAIS Divide versus Greenland sites is 0.16±0.08; and the ratio of non-sea-salt Ca2+ ions (a proxy for dust grains) onto WAIS Divide versus Greenland sites is 0.06±0.03. All of these are roughly comparable to the ratio of fluxes of dust onto Antarctic versus Greenland sites (0.08±0.05). By contrast to those values, which are considerably lower than unity, the ratio of fluxes of methanesulfonate (MSA) onto Antarctic versus Greenland sites is 1.9±0.4 and the ratio of sea-salt Na2+ ions onto WAIS Divide versus Greenland sites is 3.0±2. These ratios are more than an order of magnitude higher than those in the first grouping. We infer that the correlation of microbes and non-Trp aerosols with non-sea-salt Ca and dust suggests a largely terrestrial rather than marine origin. The lower fluxes of microbes, non-Trp aerosols, non-sea-salt Ca and dust onto WAIS Divide ice than onto Greenland ice may be due to the smaller areas of their source regions and less favorable wind patterns for transport onto Antarctic ice than onto Greenland ice. The correlated higher relative fluxes of MSA and marine Na onto Antarctic versus Greenland ice is consistent with the view that both originate largely on or around sea ice, with the Antarctic sea ice being far more extensive than that around Greenland.
Optimal routing algorithms for pin clusters in high-density multichip modules

Optimal routing algorithms for pin clusters in high-density multichip modules As the circuit densities and transistor counts are increasing, the package routing problem is becoming more and more challenging. In this paper, we study an important routing problem encountered in typical high-end MCM designs: routing within dense pin clusters. Pin clusters are often formed by pins that belong to the same functional unit or the same data bus, and can become bottlenecks in terms of overall routability. Topically, these clusters have irregular shapes, which can be approximated with rectilinear convex boundaries. Since such boundaries have often irregular shapes, a traditional escape routing algorithm may give unroutable solutions. In this paper, we study how the positions of escape terminals on a convex boundary affect the overall routability. For this purpose, we propose a set of necessary and sufficient conditions to model routability outside a rectilinear convex boundary. Given an escape routing solution, we propose an optimal algorithm to select the maximal subset of nets that are routable outside the boundary. After that, we focus on an integrated approach to consider routability constraints (outside the boundary) during the actual escape routing algorithm. Here, we propose an optimal algorithm to find the best escape routing solution that satisfies all routability constraints. Our experiments demonstrate that we can reduce the number of layers by 17% on the average, by using this integrated methodology.
Inversion of normal moveout for monoclinic media1

Multiple vertical fracture sets, possibly combined with horizontal fine layering, produce an equivalent medium of monoclinic symmetry with a horizontal symmetry plane. Although monoclinic models may be rather common for fractured formations, they have hardly been used in seismic methods of fracture detection due to the large number of independent elements in the stiffness tensor. Here, we show that multicomponent wide-azimuth reflection data (combined with known vertical velocity or reflector depth) or multi-azimuth walkaway VSP surveys provide enough information to invert for all but one anisotropic parameters of monoclinic media. In order to facilitate the inversion procedure, we introduce a Thomsen-style parametrization for monoclinic media that includes the vertical velocities of the P-wave and one of the split S-waves and a set of dimensionless anisotropic coefficients. Our notation, defined for the coordinate frame associated with the polarization directions of the vertically propagating shear waves, captures the combinations of the stiffnesses responsible for the normal-moveout (NMO) ellipses of all three pure modes. The first group of the anisotropic parameters contains seven coefficients ( e (1,2) , δ (1,2,3) and γ (1,2) ) analogous to those defined by Tsvankin for the higher-symmetry orthorhombic model. The parameters e (1,2) , δ (1,2) and γ (1,2) are primarily responsible for the pure-mode NMO velocities along the coordinate axes x 1 and x 2 (i.e. in the shear-wave polarization directions). The remaining coefficient δ (3) is not constrained by conventional-spread reflection traveltimes in a horizontal monoclinic layer. The second parameter group consists of the newly introduced coefficients ζ (1,2,3) which control the rotation of the P-, S 1 - and S 2 -wave NMO ellipses with respect to the horizontal coordinate axes. Misalignment of the P-wave NMO ellipse and shear-wave polarization directions was recently observed on field data by Perez et al . Our parameter-estimation algorithm, based on NMO equations valid for any strength of the anisotropy, is designed to obtain anisotropic parameters of monoclinic media by inverting the vertical velocities and NMO ellipses of the P-, S 1 - and S 2 -waves. A Dix-type representation of the NMO velocity of mode-converted waves makes it possible to replace the pure shear modes in reflection surveys with the PS 1 - and PS 2 -waves. Numerical tests show that our method yields stable estimates of all relevant parameters for both a single layer and a horizontally stratified monoclinic medium.
A high-current metal&#8212;Semiconductor rectifier

Schottky-barrier diodes have been in use for some time, but, in the main, only for small-signal applications. Now a large area (17K mils2) Schottky-barrier diode has been successfully fabricated for use as a high-current rectifier. The device has a rated Io of 50 amperes. Measured values of forward voltage drop at 50 amperes (dc) are typically less than 500 mV. The inherent speed characteristics of this majority carrier device were indicated in the measurement of rectification efficiency versus frequency. The efficiency of the device remained unchanged through 500 kHz. A brief theoretical review of metal-semiconductor junctions is presented and applied to the empirical characteristics of the rectifier. Chip geometry, fabrication techniques, and complete device characteristics are discussed. Specific device applications are covered with emphasis on performance and limitations.
Intelligent decision making for energy management in microgrids with air pollution reduction policy

Fuzzy Logic-based decision-making framework is implemented for energy management in microgrid systems in order to meet targets such as providing local consumers with required energy demand and making good revenue for the microgrid owner under a time-varying electricity cost policy while helping reduce negative environmental effects due to air polluting sources of electrical energy such as coal fire plants which operate in the main grid in order to provide local microgrid loads. Typically, a microgrid system has two modes of operation. It either works synchronously with the main grid or operates independently from the utility grid in an isolated mode. Distributed renewable energy generators including solar, wind in association with batteries and main grid supply power to the consumer in the microgrid network. One day period is divided to a finite number of time slots. The Fuzzy intelligent approach implemented in this article determines the rate at which power has to be delivered to/taken from the storage unit during the next time slot depending on the electricity price per kWh of energy, local load demand, electricity generation rate through renewable resources, and air pollution factor which are sampled at predetermined rates. Cost function is defined as the sum of balance/revenue due to electricity trade between microgrid and the main grid, which includes the power provided to local load and distribution losses. Five different scenarios are considered for local load and microgrid assembly operation. Measures of balance/revenue will be extracted to represent benefits of using Fuzzy logic for energy management in microgrids with air pollution reduction policy.
The Sociological and Economic Approaches to Labor Market Analysis

This chapter reviews recent economic and sociological work on labor markets, concentrating on studies whose comparison is particularly revealing of differences in strategies and underlying assumptions between the disciplines. The sociological studies reviewed are especially those stressing the embeddedness (Granovetter, 1985) of labor market behavior in networks of social interaction and demographic constraints. Most of these studies share with microeconomics the stance of “methodological individualism” (see Blaug, 1980:49–52) that attempts to ground all explanations in the motives and behaviors of individuals, but they differ in emphasizing social structural constraints and in avoiding the functionalist arguments now common in neoclassical work.
The Miles-Rubel-Taylor Theorem on Quotient Representations of Meromorphic Functions

Let f be a meromorphic function. In this chapter we describe the work of Joseph Miles, which completes the work in the last chapter concerning representations of f as the quotient of entire functions with small Nevan-linna characteristic. Miles showed that every set Z of finite λ-density is λ-balanceable. As a consequence of this and the work of Rubel and Taylor in the last chapter, there exist absolute constants A and B such that if f is any meromorphic function in the plane, then f can be expressed as f 1/f 2 where f 1 and f 2are entire functions such that T(r, f i ) ≤ AT(Br, f) for i = 1, 2 and r > 0. It is implicit in the method of proof that for any B > 1 there is a corresponding A for which the desired representation holds for all f. Miles’ proof is ingenious, intricate, and deep. Miles also showed that, in general, B cannot be chosen to be 1 by giving an example of a meromorphic f such that if f = f 1/f 2, where f 1and f 2 are entire, then T(r, f 2) ≠ O(T(r, f)). We do not give this example here.
Learning to Uncover Deep Musical Structure.

The overarching goal of music theory is to explain the inner workings of a musical composition by examining the structure of the composition. Schenkerian music theory supposes that Western tonal compositions can be viewed as hierarchies of musical objects. The process of Schenkerian analysis reveals this hierarchy by identifying connections between notes or chords of a composition that illustrate both the small- and large-scale construction of the music. We present a new probabilistic model of this variety of music analysis, details of how the parameters of the model can be learned from a corpus, an algorithm for deriving the most probable analysis for a given piece of music, and both quantitative and human-based evaluations of the algorithm's performance. This represents the first large-scale data-driven computational approach to hierarchical music analysis.
Identification of a VIP-specific receptor in guinea pig tenia coli.

Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) and pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating peptide (PACAP) interact with VPAC 2 receptors in rabbit and guinea pig (GP) gastric muscle but with functionally distinct VIP and PACAP receptors in GP tenia coli. This study examined whether selectivity for VIP was determined by two residues (40, 41) in the extracellular domain that differ in the VIP receptors of GP gastric and tenial muscle. A mutant rat VPAC 2 receptor (L40F, L41F), and two chimeric receptors in which the NH 2 -terminal domain of rat VPAC 2 receptor was replaced with that of GP gastric (chimeric-G) or tenia coli (chimeric-T) VIP receptors, were constructed and expressed in COS-1 cells. VIP and PACAP bound with equal affinity to wild-type and mutant rat VPAC 2 receptors and to chimeric-G receptor (IC 50 : VIP 0.3 ± 0.1 to 1.5 ± 0.4 nM, PACAP 0.4 ± 0.1 to 2.5 ± 0.1 nM) and stimulated cAMP with equal potency (EC 50 : VIP 13 ± 5 to 48 ± 8 nM, PACAP 8 ± 3 to 31 ± 14 nM). VIP bound with high affinity also to chimeric-T receptor (IC 50 : 0.5 ± 0.1 nM) and stimulated cAMP with high potency (EC 50 : 3 ± 1 nM). In contrast, PACAP exhibited >1,000-fold less affinity for binding or potency for stimulating cAMP. We conclude that GP tenia coli express a VIP-specific receptor and that selectivity is determined by a pair of extracellular phenylalanine residues.
Quantitative Determination of Antidepressants and Their Select Degradates by Liquid Chromatography/Electrospray Ionization Tandem Mass Spectrometry in Biosolids Destined for Land Application

Antidepressants are one of the most widely dispensed classes of pharmaceuticals in the United States. As wastewater treatment plants are a primary source of pharmaceuticals in the environment, the use of biosolids as fertilizer is a potential route for antidepressants to enter the terrestrial environment. A microsolvent extraction method, utilizing green chemistry, was developed for extraction of the target antidepressants and degradation products from biosolids, or more specifically lagoon biosolids. Liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry was used for quantitative determination of antidepressants in the lagoon biosolid extracts. Recoveries from matrix spiking experiments for the individual antidepressants had an average of 96%. The limits of detection for antidepressant pharmaceuticals and degradates ranged from 0.36 to 8.0 ng/kg wet weight. The method was applied to biosolids destined for land application. A suite of antidepressants was consistently detected in the lagoon biosolid samples, and t...
Micellar Formation and Organization in Thin Film Polymer Blends

We study the formation and organization of micelles, of polystyrene-b-poly(2-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P2VP) diblock copolymer chains, in thin film hosts composed of (1) blends of long and short chain polystyrenes, PSL and PSS, of degrees of polymerization PL and PS, respectively (PS < PL), and (2) blends of PSL and a homopolymer with which it is compatible, tetramethyl bisphenol-A polycarbonate (TMPC), of degree of polymerization PTMPC (PTMPC < PL). The role of competing entropic and enthalpic interactions on the block copolymer micelle formation and organization is examined. We show that the average size of the micelle cores, Dcore, decreased with increasing weight fraction of the shorter chain PS component in PS(PS = 125)/PS(PL = 15400) mixtures, for PL≫NPS, NPS is the degree of polymerization of the PS block (the micelle corona). Dcore also decreased with increasing weight fraction of TMPC in TMPC(PTMPC = 122)/PS(PL = 15400) mixtures. The values of Dcore in the TMPC/PSL hosts were smaller than those in PSS...
Analysis on the main virulence genes and molecular typing of Streptococcus suis type 2in Guangdong Province

In this study,we aims to grasp virulence factors and molecular typing of Streptococcus suis type 2strains in Guangdong,providing the scientific basis for the diagnosis,treatment,and prevention and control measures.Totally 5virulence genes,including the capsular polysaccharides gene(cps2J),the muramidate released protein gene(mrp),the suilysin gene(sly),and the glutamate dehydrogenase gene(gdh),were detected by PCR amplification,and MLST classification analysis on the stains was conducted.Strains of 22were divided into 5kinds of virulence gene type,of which the cps2J+/mrp+/sly+/gdh+/ef+type was common to patients and sick pig strains,cps2J+/mrp+/sly-/gdh-/ef+and cps2J+/mrp+/sly-/gdh+/ef+specific to patients strains,and cps2J+/mrp-/sly+/gdh+/ef+ and cps2J+/mrp-/sly-/gdh+/ef-unique to sick pig strains.MLST typing results showed that 22strains included ST1,ST7and ST28types,of which ST1and ST7were common to the strains from patients and sick pigs,both of the members in the ST1clone complexes,and ST28were unique to sick pigs.In Guangdong,the virulence genes and MLST molecular typing of Streptococcus suis type 2strains from patients and sick pigs of the strains present diversified,and part of the types were common to both patients and sick pigs,providing direct evidence for clarifying the transmission of pig to human.
Nanosphere Template Lithography for the Fabrication of Aluminum Plasmonic Antenna

The use of aluminum (Al) in plasmonics has garnered significant attention recently due to its UV optical properties and low material costs. Traditional plasmonic metals such as silver and gold have favorable visible and NIR optical properties and have been successful used as surface enhanced Raman (SERS) substrates and as refractive index sensors. Although silver and gold (Au) have excellent plasmonic properties, they have limited use in UV surface enhanced spectroscopies. Al is one metal that supports plasmon resonances at these low wavelengths. One of the challenges of using Al as a plasmonic material is that it rapidly forms a terminal oxide layer that is chemically robust and makes nanostructuring difficult. Consequently much of the work that has been done with Al plasmonics has used electron beam lithography (EBL) to create a pattern in an organic mask layer.[1, 2] While this technique allows for excellent size and shape control, it requires expensive equipment and is limited to the production of templates over a small substrate area. One technique used to fabricate nanostructures over large substrate areas is nano-sphere template lithography (NTL) which uses dispersed polystyrene nanospheres as templates. NTL has been employed in the fabrication of gold and silver nanodisks, nanorings, and nanocrescents.[3, 4] NTL has seen limited success in Al plasmonics, as it has only been used to produce hole arrays. This is because NTL requires a directional etch step to remove the bulk metal film. The robust native oxide of Al it makes it difficult to use reactive ion etching to remove the metal film while leaving the polystyrene templates intact. Here we deposit a copper mask at various incident angles to create a hole-array that can be filled with Al. This method opens up NTL for the production of Al nanoantennas with optical properties tunable throughout the UV and NIR wavelengths and can also be used for other metals such as gold (Au).
The Impact of Dodd-Frank on Banks’ Noninterest Expenses

This paper examines the changes in commercial banks’ noninterest expenses following the Dodd-Frank Act of 2010. We use quarterly data on U.S. bank holding companies from 1995 through 2015 to test for changes in the levels and growth rates of noninterest expenses following the passage of Dodd-Frank. We account for factors affecting noninterest expenses that are not related to regulatory compliance costs such as loan charge-offs, residential lending, deposits, and general economic activity. Contrary to other studies, we find statistically and economically significant increases in both the growth rates and the levels of noninterest expenses as percentages of total assets. The increases are most clearly identifiable for small and community banks with $10 billion or less in total assets, but they are often larger in magnitude for large and regional banks with total assets of $10 billion or more. These results are consistent for salary and non-salary, noninterest expenses.
Pockets of Poverty: The Long-Term Effects of Redlining

This paper studies the long-term effects of redlining policies that restricted access to credit in urban communities. For empirical identification, we use a regression discontinuity design that exploits boundaries from maps created by the Home Owners Loan Corporation (HOLC) in 1940. We find that "redlined" neighborhoods have 4.8% lower home prices in 1990 relative to adjacent areas. This finding is robust to the exclusion of boundaries that coincide with the physical features of cities (e.g., rivers, landmarks). Moreover, we show that housing characteristics varied smoothly at the boundaries when the maps were created. Evidence suggests lower property values may be driven by negative externalities associated with fewer owner-occupied homes and more vacant structures. Overall, our results indicate the effects of discriminatory credit rationing can persist decades after such practices are formally discontinued.
Electronic surface states of ionic crystals

This paper discusses the electronic behavior of the surface of insulating solids whose binding is at least partially ionic. The reference to ionic bonding is made for the sake of generality: all inorganic compound solids possess a certain degree of ionicity in their binding. Just as in bulk solids, the electronic states of the surface can be labeled either intrinsic or extrinsic. The intrinsic are the states that exist solely because of the termination of the lattice by the surface plane. The extrinsic may arise from any departure from the ideal periodicity of the lattice other than the presence of the surface itself. One important type of extrinsic surface state is that of a chemisorbed atom or molecule. This review discusses the physical origins of, as well as the interactions between, these two types of surface states.
Characteristics of Resistance to Phytophthora Root and Crown Rot in Cucurbita pepo

Root and crown rot incited by Phytophthora capsici causes considerable annual losses in squash-producing regions in the United States. 'Spineless Perfection' zucchini and 'Cougar' straightneck squash (Cucurbita pepo L.), partially resistant and susceptible to root and crown rot, respectively, were investigated for differences in root and crown physical factors and the histology of crown infection by P. capsici. The pH and titratable acidity of healthy root and crown tissue from tissue extracts were not significantly different between cultivars (P = 0.05). Crude fiber content (%) of blended and oven-dried root and crown tissue from healthy plants was similar between cultivars. However, dry matter (%) was highest for Cougar (P = 0.05). Colonies of P. capsici grown from mycelial plugs in root exudates collected from each cultivar were similar in diameter. Whole mounts and histological sections of healthy and infected crown tissue revealed that vascular bundles and metaxylem vessels were more abundant in crowns of Spineless Perfection than Cougar. Twelve to 48 h post inoculation (hpi), mycelia in the crown of each cultivar was limited to the cortex and hypodermal tissue. By 72 hpi, hyphae were observed in the cortex and endodermal tissue of Cougar and were concentrated in the phloem and parenchyma cells surrounding vascular bundles. Mycelia were limited to the outer cortex in Spineless Perfection. Mycelia and occluding material were present in the majority of metaxylem vessels of Cougar but not Spineless Perfection at 92 hpi; dissolution of parenchyma cells surrounding vascular bundles was apparent in Cougar. The vascular occlusions observed in Cougar may be responsible for plant wilting, a common disease symptom. Additional straightneck, crookneck, scallop, and acorn squash (C. pepo ssp. ovifera), and zucchini, marrow, and pumpkin (C. pepo ssp. pepo) cultivars were evaluated in a greenhouse study for resistance to root and crown rot. Cucurbita pepo ssp. ovifera cultivars were significantly more susceptible than C. pepo ssp. pepo to root and crown rot (P < 0.0001). Growing C. pepo ssp. pepo cultivars may be beneficial in an integrated Phytophthora management program.
Abstract 330: Liver-Specific Phospholipids Transfer Protein Activity Has Significant Contribution in Hepatocyte Apob-Containing Lipoprotein Production and in Plasma Lipoprotein Metabolism

Atherosclerosis is the leading cause of death in western countries. Lipoprotein metabolism is closely related with the disease. ApoB-containing lipoproteins (BLp) are atherogenic particles, while, high density lipoproteins (HDL) are anti-atherogenic. Phospholipids Transfer Protein (PLTP) activity has important impact on BLp and HDL homeostasis. Animal studies, including general knock out (KO) and transgenic approaches, have shown pro-atherogenic properties for PLTP. However, the tissue specific function of PLTP remains mostly unknown. To address the impact of liver-specific expression of PLTP on lipoprotein metabolism, we have created two mouse models which either express PLTP specifically in the liver on a PLTP-null background or do not express PLTP in the liver (liver-specific PLTP KO) in a wild type background. In both models, our findings show that liver-specific PLTP is responsible for 25-30% of total plasma PLTP activity. Moreover, liver-specific PLTP expression model shows a remarkable increase in plasma levels of BLp, whereas liver-specific PLTP KO mice show significant reduction of BLp in plasma in compare to control group. These results further show the significant contribution of PLTP in BLp production. We also found that HDL levels are slightly increased in the first model, while in liver-specific PLTP KO animals HDL levels are significantly decreased. In order to unravel the mechanism, we evaluated the apoB and triglyceride production rates after blocking the clearance of the particles. We found that liver-specific PLTP increases apoB (both apo48 and apoB100) and triglyceride (TG) secretion rates. Additionally, the study of the hepatocyte microsomal luminal content lipidation in the first model showed that in the presence of PLTP BLp lipidation, which reflects as higher level of TG in microsomal luminal content, is significantly higher than the control group. Our results indicate that liver-generated PLTP promotes atherogenic lipoprotein production and provides a rationale for liver-specific PLTP inhibition as a therapeutical approach for the treatment of atherosclerosis.
Unconventional microreactor designs for process intensification in the distributed reforming of hydrocarbons: a review of recent developments at Texas A&M University

Microreactor technology promises a modular process intensification technology capable of removing heat-transfer limitations on endothermic and exothermic processes central to on-demand hydrogen production and commodity chemicals production from distributed hydrocarbon resources while providing several pathways to heat integration for these processes. Additionally, the incorporation of hydrogen-permselective membranes allows further intensification via coupling reforming or water–gas-shift catalytic processes with in situ H 2 removal. The primary challenges to realizing microreactor technology for these applications remains firstly, efficient and effective thermal integration of multiple processes, secondly, realizing manufacturable designs with minimal heat-losses and/or thermal non-uniformities, and thirdly, addressing materials compatibility and durability concerns for micromembrane reactors. This brief perspectives article presents a discussion of these challenges in the context of reviewing our recent research efforts in unconventional microreactor design approaches for process intensification aimed at combining the advantages of microreactors and microfabrication with more conventional materials and fabrication techniques.
To Philosophize or Not to Philosophize: An Issue on Leisure Programming for Baby Boomers

AbstractThe art of leisure programming is underscored by a variety of leisure philosophies, approaches, and theories. However, the practicality of the latter in actual leisure programming practices...
People’s Justice and Law’s Embattled Empire

This chapter provides nuanced observations of selected provisions of the Chinese Criminal Law and their practical interpretations. A two-prong approach is adopted to illustrate how the government is coping with the dilemma of maintaining legitimacy of the legal system on the one hand while adhering to the increasingly confused and challenged orthodox socialist legality on the other. The remainder of the chapter contains examples of the actual application of the recently installed Chinese Sentencing Guidelines and observations of the Basic People’s courts in operation.
Personality Theory and Psychopathology

The idea that personality and psychopathology are intimately connected is a long standing belief held by scientists and clinicians. However, our understanding of this relationship is limited by conceptual and methodological problems associated with the study of personality. More sophisticated conceptual models and scientific research designs will help disentangle this complex relationship and its meaning for the development of various forms of psychopathology.
Increased risk of diseases of the basal ganglia and cerebellum in patients with a history of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is marked by an ongoing pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity and involves dysregulated dopaminergic pathways. Dopaminergic agents (i.e., amphetamine and methylphenidate) are thus prescribed to treat ADHD. As little is known regarding long-term consequences of either ADHD or its treatment, the objective of this study was to determine if either alters the risk of diseases of the basal ganglia and cerebellum, including Parkinson’s disease. Statewide medical records from 1996 to 2016 were retrieved from the Utah Population Database to conduct a retrospective cohort study. Participants included ADHD patients (International Classification of Diseases, 9th revision (ICD-9) diagnosis codes 314.0–314.2, 314.8, 314.9) and 5:1 random sex-matched and age-matched subjects with no ADHD diagnosis history. Both patients and non-ADHD subjects met the following eligibility criteria: (1) no prior diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease, secondary parkinsonism, basal ganglia disease, or essential tremor (ICD-9 codes 332.0, 332.1, 333.0, 333.1), (2) born in 1950 or later and age ≥20 years at last follow-up, and (3) no history of substance abuse (illicit drugs or alcohol). Outcomes were measured as time to diagnosis of diseases of the basal ganglia and cerebellum, death, or study-end. A Cox model incorporating a competing risk of death was used to provide hazard ratio estimates. Patients with ADHD (N = 31,769) had a 2.4-fold increased risk of basal ganglia and cerebellum diseases (95% confidence interval (CI): 2.0–3.0; P < 0.0001) compared with 158,790 non-ADHD persons, after controlling for sex and age and adjusting for tobacco use and psychotic conditions. In 4960 ADHD patients prescribed psychostimulants, risk of basal ganglia and cerebellum diseases between ages 21 and 49 years was especially pronounced, at 8.6-fold (95% CI: 4.8–15.6; P < 0001). The association of ADHD patients prescribed psychostimulants with higher risk of diseases of the basal ganglia and cerebellum may reflect a more severe ADHD phenotype rather than a direct association between prescribed stimulant use and basal ganglia or cerebellum disorders. Future studies to assess and stratify patient risk so as to inform treatment are warranted.
Galliformes and columbiformes

Abstract Galliformes and columbifomes are closely associated with humans and some species have been domesticated for well over 5000 years. Both orders remain diverse, ranging from the common domestic poultry species (e.g., chicken, turkey, and squabs) to the more exotic species found in the wild and in zoological collections. While many species have been benefited from human activities and have increased their ranges, others have declined in numbers and some have become threatened (e.g., Trinidad piping-guan and wood quail) or even extinct (e.g., dodo and passenger pigeon). Nondomestic galliformes and columbiformes are susceptible to many of the same diseases that occur in domestic species, yet predisposition may be different. Furthermore, disease prevalence depends on exposure and potential risk factors. Infectious diseases that tend to be more common under intensive commercial production may not pose as great a risk to exotic and free-living species.
OBESE-INFLAMMATORY PHENOTYPES IN HEART FAILURE WITH PRESERVED EJECTION FRACTION

Comorbidity (CM) driven microvascular inflammation is posited as a unifying pathophysiologic mechanism for HFpEF. Obesity is pro-inflammatory and common in HFpEF. We hypothesized that other CM variably associated with obesity result in unique obesity-inflammation phenotypes in HFpEF which are