cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effect of topical timolol on epinephrine-stimulated aqueous humor flow in sleeping humans.

PURPOSE: It has been shown that intravenously administered epinephrine can increase the rate of aqueous humor flow in sleeping humans. This experiment was conducted to determine if this stimulatory effect can be blocked by the beta-adrenergic antagonist timolol. METHODS: Twenty normal human subjects were studied for one sleep cycle at night. Epinephrine was infused intravenously at a rate of 1 microgram/min. One eye received a single drop of 0.25% timolol, and the fellow eye received a placebo. Aqueous humor flow was measured by the rate of disappearance of fluorescein from the eye. RESULTS: The rate of aqueous humor flow was 14% lower in the timolol-treated eye than in the placebo-treated eye during 6 hours of sleep. This difference was interpreted as being due to blockage of part of epinephrine's effect on aqueous humor flow by topical timolol. CONCLUSION: It was concluded that the effect of systemically administered epinephrine on aqueous humor flow is at least partly mediated locally on the eye and that some portion of timolol's well-known effect on daytime aqueous humor flow could be due to inhibition of the ocular effects of epinephrine.
Ethnic differences in the incidence of leukemia.

A series of 1636 patients with leukemia, representing the white residents of Brooklyn diagnosed in the period 1943-52, is compared with selected census data for the population. After standardization for age differences in the two populations, the incidences of leukemia in the native-born and foreign-born populations of the borough are 45.3 and 61.0 per million per annum, respectively. The data suggest that a high incidence of leukemia in the Russian-born population accounts for the higher rate in the foreign-born group. Using affiliation of cemetery of burial as an index of religion, a series of 1368 deaths from leukemia is compared with a systematic one in 200 samples of all deaths in the same area. Leukemia is recorded as cause of death twice as frequently among Jews, as among others. This relationship is seen in both native-born and foreign-born groups, in males and females, at all ages and in all the common pathologic varieties of leukemia. No difference in leukemia incidence is seen between predominantly Catholic and predominantly Protestant groups. Evidence from United States vital statistics is used to show that the commonly observed difference between whites and Negroes imi leukemia death rates is closely associated with social differences between the two groups. Little or no difference in leukemia death rate exists between these two groups in Brooklyn, when allowance is made for the apparently high rate in the white Jewish population.
An interleaved 1-to-6 step-up resonant switched-capacitor converter utilizing split-phase control

Hybrid and resonant switched-capacitor (SC) converters have the potential to achieve higher power densities than conventional dc-dc converters. This work presents an interleaved, 20 V to 120 V, resonant SC converter which could be used in applications that benefit from high power density and efficiency. The resonant topology of this SC converter enables a compact and efficient design that minimizes losses. We use a new split-phase control scheme that incorporates precisely timed additional transition states to increase the converter efficiency. A two-phase interleaved design increases the output power and simultaneously decreases the output ripple through harmonic cancellation. In addition to experimental evaluation of a 95.7% efficient, GaN-based prototype of this interleaved converter, an analysis of current sharing between interleaved phases is performed.
The Impact of Quantitative versus Qualitative Risk Reporting on Risk Professionals' Strategic and Operational Risk Judgments

SYNOPSIS: Enterprise risk management (ERM) programs are an emerging component of managerial accounting that enable senior management to manage critical threats to the organization and identify stra...
Pacing elements of IR system design

This session is a critical review of the technological field called IR Optical Design and Fabrication. When Warren Smith called me and asked for a paper that would look into the future, looking for trends, I pointed out that everyone here knew much more about IR optics than I—the list of papers and speakers attests to that! The years spent in the field of IR technology since I first began at The University of Michigan in October 1955 seemed always to focus on the underlying physics of such technology, always driven strongly by the applications needs. This led me to a strong interest in IR systems defined, as was so well stated by Hudson in his book [1], by the functions to be performed by such systems. To paraphrase his statements, an IR system is defined by what it is supposed to do. Thus the user defines the system-the application determines the system design. As I told Warren, I have developed some rather strong biases concerning the pacing elements of IR components in this context. Unfortunately he said to go ahead and here we are.
An automatic RTL compiler for high-throughput FPGA implementation of diverse deep convolutional neural networks

Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) are rapidly evolving and being applied to a broad range of applications. Given a specific application, an increasing challenge is to search the appropriate CNN algorithm and efficiently map it to the target hardware. The FPGA-based accelerator has the advantage of reconfigurability and flexibility, and has achieved high-performance and low-power. Without a general compiler to automate the implementation, however, significant efforts and expertise are still required to customize the design for each CNN model. In this work, we present an RTL-level CNN compiler that automatically generates customized FPGA hardware for the inference tasks of various CNNs, in order to enable high-level fast prototyping of CNNs from software to FPGA and still keep the benefits of low-level hardware optimization. First, a general-purpose library of RTL modules is developed to model different operations at each layer. The implementation of each module is optimized at the RTL level. Given a CNN algorithm, its structure is abstracted to a directed acyclic graph (DAG) and then complied with RTL modules in the library. The integration and dataflow of physical modules are predefined in the top-level system template and reconfigured during compilation. The runtime control of layer-by-layer sequential computation is managed by the proposed execution schedule so that even highly irregular and complex network topology, e.g. ResNet, can be compiled. The proposed methodology is demonstrated with end-to-end FPGA implementations of various CNN algorithms (e.g. NiN, VGG-16, ResNet-50, and ResNet-152) on two standalone Intel FPGAs, Stratix V and Arria 10. The performance and overhead of the automated compilation are evaluated. The compiled FPGA accelerators exhibit superior performance compared to state-of-the-art automation-based works by >2× for various CNNs.
A continuum of mineralization from human renal pyramid to stones on stems.

Abstract The development of new modalities for kidney stone prevention rests upon understanding the progression of mineralization within the renal pyramid. The progression from small foci of mineralized volumes within the renal pyramid to larger interstitial plaques that ultimately lead into clinically detectable calcium-based stones on calcium phosphate stems will be presented through correlative microscopy approach. High resolution X-ray computed tomography (micro-XCT), electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) compositional analyses of interstitial plaques, stems, and attached stones were performed. Increase in mineral density progressed with mineralization severity, with the highest mineral densities detected within mature Randall’s plaque and stems to which kidney stones were attached. EDX analyses revealed variable elemental composition within interstitial plaque, stems, and stones. Micro-XCT reconstructions of stones with stems enabled visualization of unoccluded tubules within stems, with average tubule diameters corresponding to thin limbs of Henle, blood vessels, and collecting ducts. Correlative microscopy confirmed that the progression of mineralization leading to calcium-based nephrolithiasis occurs through a continuum involving four anatomically and structurally distinct biomineralization regions: 1) proximal intratubular mineralization within the renal pyramid; 2) interstitial Randall’s plaque near the tip of the papilla; 3) emerging plaque (stems); and, 4) the body of heterogeneous stones. Statement of Significance Nephrolithiasis is a common condition affecting nearly 1 in 11 Americans. The most common type of stone, calcium oxalate is known to form on a calcium phosphate deposit on the renal papilla known as Randall’s plaque. Novel imaging techniques have identified distinct regions of biomineralization not just at the tip, but throughout the renal papilla. The classic understanding of Randall’s plaque formation is reformulated using correlative imaging techniques. This study establishes a stepwise progression of anatomically-specific biomineralization events including, 1) proximal intratubular mineralization within the renal pyramid; 2) interstitial Randall’s plaque near the tip of the papilla; 3) emerging plaque (stems); and, 4) the body of heterogeneous stones, and provides insights into the need for plausible site-specific therapeutic intervention.
Similarity between vowels influences response execution in word identification.

Speech categories vary in their similarity to one another, with consequences for phenomena ranging from patterns of confusability under noisy listening conditions to phonological processes described as operating on relatively abstract representations. Studies of inter-category similarity are typically conducted by studying error rates in noise, or by using metalinguistic similarity judgments. Here, we exploited the continuous and non-ballistic properties of computer mouse movements to investigate, in a fine-grained manner, the intercategory similarity of speech sounds. Participants listened to recordings of naturally produced words (”pin,” ”pen,” and ”pan”) and used a computer mouse to select the matching stimulus from an array of two pictures. The same participants also performed a dissimilarity judgment task. Both tasks revealed evidence for graded effects of inter-category similarity, albeit in the context of strongly categorical classification. Multidimensional scaling of mean dissimilarity judgments revealed a very tight distribution of stimuli from the same category in perceptual space and, at a larger scale, differences between pairs of categories in their similarity to one another. Although accuracy in the word identification task was nearly perfect, arm-movement dynamics revealed attraction toward the alternative response, scaled in magnitude to the perceived similarity of the two categories.
Chapter 40 – Myoclonus: Classification, Clinical Features, and Genetics

Myoclonus is a hyperkinetic movement disorder present in a wide variety of neurologic disorders. Myoclonus may be generated at all levels of the nervous system from cortical, subcortical, segmental, and peripheral centers. Classification of myoclonus by its physiology can help the clinician localize the site of pathology and help refine diagnosis. Some physiological myoclonus types are characteristically seen in particular disorders and respond to particular therapies. Electroencephalography and electromyography aid in characterizing myoclonus physiology and etiology. Etiologic classification of myoclonus distinguishes four broad categories: physiologic, essential, epileptic, and secondary (or symptomatic) myoclonus. The genetic heterogeneity of disorders underlying myoclonus is extensive and continues to be elucidated.
Cotton Textile Exports from the Indian Subcontinent, 1680-1780

"India’s central position in the global textile trade of the eighteenth century is increasingly appreciated. Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and West Africa, and even the Americans were major markets for Indian stuff and the trade in Indian cottons was an important link between the commercial worlds of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Despite the importance of this trade, there is little research on the volume of cotton textile exports from the subcontinent. Nevertheless, recent revisionist accounts of Indian economic history, especially found in the work of Tirthankar Roy, have argued that exports represented an insignificant fraction of production. Roy, for instance, believes exports may have been only one per cent of total cotton cloth manufactures. The purpose of this paper is to assemble some new estimates of cloth production and exports for the subcontinent. In doing this it will build upon and extend the author’s estimates for South India, which was one of the major cotton textile exporting regions of the subcontinent. "
Designing Simulations and Games: A Workshop for Health Care Professionals

This article describes the important elements of a five-day workshop for teaching health care professionals to design and use simulation/gaming activities. Suggested guidelines are identified for planning and conducting a workshop. The importance of early planning is emphasized by identifying the specific objectives of the workshop and preparing the staff to facilitate the attainment of each objective. The selection of staff and participants is discussed. A day-to-day description of a typical workshop is presented. Also included is a description of several content presentations which teach the workshop participants the required skills and knowledge in design, selection, research, and evaluation of simulation/gaming activities.
Isostatic and Quasi-Isostatic Methods for Determining the Permeability of Organic Vapors Through Barrier Membranes

Two test methods have been developed which provide quantitative and reliable values for the rate of diffusion of organic vapors through polymer membranes. Method I is based on a quasi-isostatic procedure and utilizes gas chromatography analysis for quantifying the amount of organic vapor that has permeated through the membrane. The permeability of a number of permeant/polymer membrane combinations was determined by this method, with studies being carried out at constant temperature and with varying permeant concentrations. The effect of permeant concentration on the permeability rate, P, permeability constant, P, the apparent diffusion coefficient, D a , and the limiting diffusion coefficient, D 0 , was determined for the diffusion of toluene vapor through oriented polypropylene, Saran, and a Saran-coated oriented polypropylene structure. Method II involved an isostatic procedure, in which a constant and low concentration of permeant is flowed through the upper cell chamber of a permeability cell. Simultaneously, nitrogen carrier gas (N 2 ) of a known flow rate is continually passed through the lower cell chamber of the permeability cell and is conveyed to a gas chromatograph by means of a computer-aided gas sampling valve. The methods developed allow determination of the diffusion of organic aroma constituents through barrier membranes under defined conditions including (1) temperature, (2) permeant concentration, (3) membrane thickness, (4) polymer morphology (percent crystallinity), and, (5) polymer thermal mechanical history (that is, degree orientation), and they will have significant utility in evaluating plastic packaging material for food packaging, particularly as plastics are showing increased usefulness as packaging for fresh and processed food products.
Proving Data Race Freedom in Task Parallel Programs Using a Weaker Partial Order

Task parallel programming models such as Habanero Java help developers write idiomatic parallel programs and avoid common errors. Data race freedom is a desirable property for task parallel programs but is difficult to prove because every possible execution of the program must be considered. A partial order over events of an observed program execution induces an equivalence class of executions that the program may also produce. The Does-not-Commute (DC) relation is an efficiently computable partial order used for data race detection. As a relatively weak partial order, the DC relation can represent relatively large equivalence classes of program executions. However, some of these executions may be infeasible, thus leading to false data race reports. The contribution of this paper is a mechanized proof that the DC relation is actually sound for commonly used task parallel programming models. Sound means that the first data race identified by the DC relation is guaranteed to be a real data race. A prototype analysis in the Java Pathfinder model checker shows that the DC relation can significantly reduce the number of explored states required to prove data race freedom in Habanero Java programs. In this application, the search for data race using the DC relation is both sound and complete.
Beyond infant death: the hidden costs of male immigration in geladas

The experience of traumatic events can catalyse physiological trade-offs that increase the vulnerability of organisms to disease and death. Among potential sources of trauma, the arrival of new males in female-philopatric species may be particularly salient due to the accompanying threat of infanticide. In such social systems, the killing of dependent offspring benefits these new males by accelerating females' return to receptivity. Despite widespread interest in the evolutionary drivers of infanticide, there is little known about the collateral effects of male immigration on other group members. That is, do the periods following male immigration act as ‘windows of adversity’ that carry costs for group members over and above the direct victims of infanticide? Here, we examined how the immediate aftermath of new male immigration in a female-philopatric species (Theropithecus gelada) was related to the risk of injury for all individuals. Analysing 139 injuries and 41 male immigration events across 9 years of data collection, we found that male immigration was accompanied by increases in injury risk for all natal individuals (adult males were excluded from the analysis), with the most severe effects for dependent infants and lactating females. Females with injuries had longer interbirth intervals, highlighting the reproductive consequences of injury. This study is among the first to quantify costs associated with male immigration beyond infant mortality and highlights that these periods can act as windows of adversity that may affect lifetime health and fitness outcomes.
First Bytes: Preparing K-12 Educators for CS Inclusion

In 2016, Former U.S. President Obama started a Computer Science For All initiative [1] and in Europe it is the Informatics For All initiative [2]. In 2020, many school systems are still trying to figure out how to meet the learning requirements of bringing Computer Science (CS) into every primary and secondary classroom. As state department of education offices throughout the United States are trying to support the initiative and have started adding CS requirements to standardized testing, the lack of professional development (PD) for educators has been forgotten. How does a physical education teacher, a special education teacher, a foreign language teacher, and a history teacher bring CS concepts into their classrooms? This immediately caused a high demand for Computer Science (CS) professional development for primary and secondary teachers. Some school systems did not even fully understand what CS was, so they were unable to identify PD needs, evaluate PD options, or track their educator's inclusion of it. Over the past two years, I have conducted Computer Science PD sessions for educators in three formats (one year of weekend sessions, one year mentoring through computer clubs, and one year undergraduate CS courses) of with varying lengths of commitment by the participants, who came from different backgrounds. Participants were from the K-12 areas of Math, Technology Education, English, Special education, and English Language Learners. A side-by-side comparison of these sessions based on different categories such as targeted grade level, workshop durations, prior educator knowledge area, curriculum development information, training tools, and lessons learned will be provided in this poster. The sessions were structured using participatory design [3] and traditional college undergraduate online course work. Initial pilot results were collected through a survey prior to receiving the PD. These early results show that K-12 teachers in non-career and technical classrooms believe that CS is just programming or do not know how to apply CS concepts to their subject matter. The results further show that many of the K-12 teachers felt that the majority of existing PD simply provided lesson plans [4] versus teaching them CS competencies to allow them the creativity to develop their own lesson plans and to support their students CS questions. In a few cases, for example pilot participants were surprised to learn that CS does not always include programming. We are currently using conjecture maps [5] and data sorting to process and analyze the data from our three formats. The conjecture mapping will aid in seeing where we can improve to ensure that K-12 teachers in our service area are comfortable with CS topic inclusion. We will also be able to duplicate a successful approach for cybersecurity topics in the future, as that is now also being added by stated department of education boards within the United States.
Effects of various fairlead-connection parameters on chain-mooring OPB-induced failure

Abstracts In this paper, the effects of underwater-chain-stopper (UCS) bearing friction at fairlead connection and time-varying interlink EI (bending stiffness) at the UCS exit on the OPB-fatigue-induced chain failure are investigated. To demonstrate their effects through numerical simulations, three different approaches, such as only considering time-varying EI, considering both time-varying EI and fairlead bearing friction, and neither considered, are modeled and the results are systematically compared. With fairlead bearing friction, the fairlead boundary condition is adjusted during the time-marching simulation according to the criterion between UCS angle and breakout angle. The numerical results show that the fairlead bearing friction plays much more important role than time-varying EI in significantly increasing OPB-induced fatigue damage, which is due to the significant increase of interlink angle and bending moment by the former especially at taut side. Furthermore, the present approach considering both time-varying EI and fairlead bearing friction is compared with widely adopted BV (Bureau Veritas) methodology. Also, since fairlead bearing friction effect is coupled with UCS bending stiffness, the bending moments and fatigue damages at UCS exit for various UCS bending stiffness are compared. Finally, the effects of residual stresses at hot-spots on OPB-induced fatigue damage are investigated.
Inefficient Labor or Inefficient Capital? Corporate Diversification and Productivity around the World

I study the relation between corporate diversification and labor productivity in a sample of over 500,000 firms from 46 countries. Across the entire sample, greater diversification is associated with significantly lower labor productivity. The negative relation between diversification and labor productivity is not stronger in countries with more burdensome employment regulation, but it is significantly stronger in countries with better financial development. In addition, the negative relation is stronger in industries with high capital/labor ratios. Overall, the results suggest that the lower productivity in diversified firms is due more to the misallocation of capital than to the inefficient use of labor.
Dermal Drivers of Injury-Induced Inflammation: Contribution of Adipocytes and Fibroblasts

Irregular inflammatory responses are a major contributor to tissue dysfunction and inefficient repair. Skin has proven to be a powerful model to study mechanisms that regulate inflammation. In particular, skin wound healing is dependent on a rapid, robust immune response and subsequent dampening of inflammatory signaling. While injury-induced inflammation has historically been attributed to keratinocytes and immune cells, a vast body of evidence supports the ability of non-immune cells to coordinate inflammation in numerous tissues and diseases. In this review, we concentrate on the active participation of tissue-resident adipocytes and fibroblasts in pro-inflammatory signaling after injury, and how altered cellular communication from these cells can contribute to irregular inflammation associated with aberrant wound healing. Furthering our understanding of how tissue-resident mesenchymal cells contribute to inflammation will likely reveal new targets that can be manipulated to regulate inflammation and repair.
Can late stage marine mortality explain observed shifts in age structure of Chinook salmon

Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) populations have experienced widespread declines in abundance and abrupt shifts toward younger and smaller adults returning to spawn in rivers. The causal agents underpinning these shifts are largely unknown. Here we investigate the potential role of late-stage marine mortality, defined as occurring after the first winter at sea, in driving this species' changing age structure. Simulations using a stage-based life cycle model that included additional mortality during after the first winter at sea better reflected observed changes in the age structure of a well-studied and representative population of Chinook salmon from the Yukon River drainage, compared with a model estimating environmentally-driven variation in age-specific survival alone. Although the specific agents of late-stage mortality are not known, our finding is consistent with work reporting predation by salmon sharks (Lamna ditropis) and marine mammals including killer whales (Orcinus orca). Taken as a whole, this work suggests that Pacific salmon mortality after the first winter at sea is likely to be higher than previously thought and highlights the need to investigate selective sources of mortality, such as predation, as major contributors to rapidly changing age structure of spawning adult Chinook salmon.
1 EVALUATION FOR TETANUS ANTIBODIES IN KOREAN-AMERICANS LIVING IN THE NEW YORK AREA: A PILOT STUDY.

Public health initiatives to immunize children and adults have effectively reduced the number of tetanus cases in the USA. However, in the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), immigrants from Mexico had a 67% non-protective anti-tetanus antibody (ATA) level. Less work has been conducted among other immigrant populations to determine the extent of this observation. Objective To measure ATA levels among the Korean-American immigrant population. Methods A convenience sample of 50 Korean Americans born outside the USA was recruited to determine the levels of ATA. A non-protective level of ATA was defined as below 0.15 IU/ml. Results The mean age was 59.5 years and 82% were female. There were 43/50 (86% (95% confidence limits 76, 96)) patients with a non-protective ATA level. Those between the ages of 50–59 years (94% were seronegative) and 60 years-highest age (92% were seronegative) were among the least likely to be protected. Neither gender nor a self-reported history of past tetanus immunization or military service predicted protection to tetanus. Discussion In this pilot study we found that 86% of Korean immigrants did not have protective ATA levels, with patients in the 50–59 year age range as unlikely to be protected as the older subjects. Patient reported history was unreliable in determining whether an individual had protective levels. Conclusion The vast majority of sampled Korean American immigrants lack protective ATA levels and are in need of immunization. Additional study is needed to determine the risk of other immigrant groups to tetanus.
Heuristic Dispatch Based on Price Signals for Behind-the-Meter PV-Battery Systems in the System Advisor Model

The economic potential of a behind-the-meter (BTM) PV-battery system depends greatly on how the battery is dispatched. Different utility rates, system sizes, generation and load profiles can all require different dispatch strategies. This paper presents price signals dispatch, a new algorithm for automated economic dispatch of BTM PV-battery systems, which utilizes 24-hour PV and load forecasts, degradation data, and utility rates. The algorithm is integrated with the System Advisor Model (SAM) tool and is tested with a nonlinear generic electrochemical battery model. Price signals dispatch outperforms SAM’s existing algorithms in cases requiring a balance between demand charge management and energy arbitrage, and in cases where battery degradation imposes a significant cost.
Blood shortages and changes to massive transfusion protocols: Survey of hospital practices during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abstract Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in severe ongoing blood shortages across the US, despite employment of numerous blood-conservation measures. Massive transfusion protocols (MTP) are one resource-intensive practice that utilize significant amounts of blood products. Alterations to the composition of MTP parameters to conserve scarce biologic resources have hitherto not been examined during the pandemic. Methods An anonymous 18-question survey was administered to 115 hospitals with valid email contact information. Survey questions addressed whether institutions have altered their MTPs due to the COVID-19 pandemic and blood shortages, and if so, what adjustments they have made. Additional details concerning potential differences in the number and cycles of MTPs and blood product wastage during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the year prior were assessed. Results 50 responses were received (43 % response rate). 10 % (5/50) of institutions altered their MTPs utilizing a variety of approaches in attempt to conserve blood during the COVID-19 pandemic. Four additional institutions intend to alter them if it becomes necessary. Following onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, 24 % of institutions (12/50) reported an increase in monthly MTP activations, while 16 % (8/50) reported decreased activations compared to prior to the pandemic. 22 % (11/50) of institutions experienced increased blood wastage, whereas 16 % (8/50) reported decreased waste compared to pre-pandemic. Discussion The results of this survey highlight a variety of mechanisms by which institutions have attempted to conserve blood via altering MTPs. Whether an institution adjusted their MTP does not correlate with changes in blood product wastage compared to pre-pandemic.
Fear, feminist geopolitics and the hot and banal

Abstract In this paper we bring together Billig’s notion of banal nationalism and recent feminist geopolitical examinations of fear in order to analyze two cases studies of fear among U.S. college students and U.S. soldiers experiencing sexual violence. Putting banal nationalism and feminist geopolitics into conversation, we argue, reveals both their compatibilities and important pathways for political geography and critical geopolitics to build on Billig’s work. In this regard, the paper makes three key contributions. First, we demonstrate how the insights and imperatives of banal nationalism intertwine in critical ways with the work of feminist geographers, as the banal is often rendered feminine and apolitical and as gender itself is often treated as banal despite its role in the reproduction of the nation. Second, we argue that the multi-scalar analytic of feminist geopolitics offers a valuable intervention into banal nationalism, as relational feminist approaches to binaries like intimate/global provide a useful model to account for hot and banal nationalism as a single, intertwining complex. Finally, through an analysis of fear in relation to sexual violence, the paper illustrates both the inseparability of banal and hot nationalism and how they are deeply gendered, as certain forms of deeply hot violence and fear are depoliticized through their banalization (e.g. sexual assault on college campuses), and as violence that is recognized as hot (e.g. war) is maintained through processes that are deemed banal (e.g. gender).
The Impact on Securitization of Revised Ucc Article 9

The recent revisions of Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code, or UCC, are expected to have a significant impact on securitization - a type of financing that is perhaps the most rapidly growing segment of the U.S. credit markets and increasingly a major part of foreign credit markets. In its current form, Article 9 governs the transfer of only certain types of assets that are involved in securitization transactions. Revised Article 9 attempts to broaden its coverage to virtually all securitized assets. I analyze how it does that and what it means for Article 9 to apply to these transactions, addressing issues of perfection and priority of asset transfers, commingling of proceeds, assignability of assets in the face of contractual restrictions, and the effect of negative pledge covenants. Finally, I show that the revision of Article 9 does much to bring the commercial law setting for securitization into the 21st Century.
Jumbo store: providing efficient incremental upload and versioning for a utility rendering service

We have developed a new storage system called the Jumbo Store (JS) based on encoding directory tree snapshots as graphs called HDAGs whose nodes are small variable-length chunks of data and whose edges are hash pointers. We store or transmit each node only once and encode using landmark-based chunking plus some new tricks. This leads to very efficient incremental upload and storage of successive snapshots: we report compression factors over 16x for real data; a comparison shows that our incremental upload sends only 1/5 as much data as Rsync. To demonstrate the utility of the Jumbo Store, we have integrated it into HP Labs' prototype Utility Rendering Service (URS), which accepts rendering data in the form of directory tree snapshots from small teams of animators, renders one or more requested frames using a processor farm, and then makes the rendered frames available for download. Efficient incremental upload is crucial to the URS's usability and responsiveness because of the teams' slow Internet connections. We report on the JS's performance during a major field test of the URS where the URS was offered to 11 groups of animators for 10 months during an animation showcase to create high-quality short animations.
Investigation of the structural behavior of historical covered timber bridges

Due to the importance of historical timber covered bridges throughout history, their preservation is necessary. However, conducting an accurate structural evaluation of these types of bridges has always caused difficulties to engineers. Little laboratory and analytical modeling has been previously completed to evaluate the overall behavior and rating of these structures. Within this study, field testing results of displacements and strains for three Burr arch covered timber bridges were completed. Analysis of one of the two main supporting elements, i.e. the truss-arch elements, of the bridge structure was performed using the finite element method which included the as built geometry, such as the splice joints, in the top and bottom chord truss members. The connectivity between timber members, i.e., the connection between vertical and diagonal members, was also accounted for within the model. Finite element analyses included the evaluation of both two and three dimensional stick modeling to evaluate the effect of different modeling techniques that may be utilized by bridge engineers in the evaluation of the structural behavior of these bridges. Through this evaluation, recommendations were developed for the most appropriate analytical finite element model to analyze historical timber covered bridges.
Effect of grain processing degree on intake, digestion, ruminal fermentation, and performance characteristics of steers fed medium-concentrate growing diets.

Three trials were conducted to evaluate the effects of degree of barley and corn processing on performance and digestion characteristics of steers fed growing diets. Trial 1 used 14 (328 ± 43 kg initial BW) Holstein steers fitted with ruminal, duodenal, and ileal cannulas in a completely randomized design to evaluate intake, site of digestion, and ruminal fermentation. Treatments consisted of coarsely rolled barley (2,770 μm), moderately rolled barley (2,127 μm), and finely rolled barley (1,385 μm). Trial 2 used 141 crossbred beef steers (319 ± 5.5 kg initial BW; 441 ± 5.5 kg final BW) fed for 84 d in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement to evaluate the effects of grain source (barley or corn) and extent of processing (coarse or fine) on steer performance. Trial 3 investigated four degrees of grain processing in barley-based growing diets and used 143 crossbred steers (277 ± 19 kg initial BW; 396 ± 19 kg final BW) fed for 93 d. Treatments were coarsely, moderately, and finely rolled barley and a mixture of coarsely and finely rolled barley to approximate moderately rolled barley. In Trial 1, total tract digestibilities of OM, CP, NDF, and ADF were not affected (P ≥ 0.10) by barley processing; however, total tract starch digestibility increased linearly (P < 0.05), and fecal starch output decreased linearly (P < 0.05) with finer barley processing. In situ DM, CP, starch disappearance rate, starch soluble fraction, and extent of starch digestion increased linearly (P < 0.05) with finer processing. In Trial 2, final BW and ADG were not affected by degree of processing or type of grain (P ≥ 0.13). Steers fed corn had greater DMI (P = 0.05) than those fed barley. In Trial 3, DMI decreased linearly with finer degree of processing (P = 0.003). Gain efficiency, apparent dietary NE m , and apparent dietary NEg increased (P < 0.001) with increased degree of processing. Finer processing of barley improved characteristics of starch digestion and feed efficiency, but finer processing of corn did not improve animal performance in medium-concentrate, growing diets.
Home Rule on the Ropes: State Preemption of Local Zoning for Small Renewable Power Projects in Massachusetts

Local zoning approvals and community-based legal appeals continue to bedevil Massachusetts' renewable energy entrepreneurs, even as policy change and investment capital are helping to spur growth in renewable energy generation. Proposals for special renewable energy zoning laws still need to work through the legislature (and, ultimately, the courts) and the future is unclear. The entrepreneurs that understand and make best use of an existing Massachusetts statute that provides zoning relief for power projects will be the first to get green power onto the grid, allowing them to command higher prices on the bulk power market and positioning them for lucrative long-term contracts with utilities that badly need the renewable capacity. "Home Rule on the Ropes" outlines this special exemption and explains how it can be used to gain the competitive advantage in permitting.
IL-12 Protects against Coxsackievirus B3-Induced Myocarditis by Increasing IFN-γ and Macrophage and Neutrophil Populations in the Heart

Th1-type immune responses, mediated by IL-12-induced IFN-gamma, are believed to exacerbate certain autoimmune diseases. We recently found that signaling via IL-12Rbeta1 increases coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3)-induced myocarditis. In this study, we examined the role of IL-12 on the development of CVB3-induced myocarditis using mice deficient in IL-12p35 that lack IL-12p70. We found that IL-12 deficiency did not prevent myocarditis, but viral replication was significantly increased. Although there were no changes in the total percentage of inflammatory cells in IL-12-deficient hearts compared with wild-type BALB/c controls by FACS analysis, macrophage and neutrophil populations were decreased. This decrease corresponded to reduced TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma levels in the heart, suggesting that macrophage and/or neutrophil populations may be a primary source of TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma during acute CVB3 myocarditis. Increased viral replication in IL-12-deficient mice was not mediated by reduced TNFRp55 signaling, because viral replication was unaltered in TNFRp55-deficient mice. However, STAT4 or IFN-gamma deficiency resulted in significantly increased viral replication and significantly reduced TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma levels in the heart, similar to IL-12 deficiency, indicating that the IL-12/STAT4 pathway of IFN-gamma production is important in limiting CVB3 replication. Furthermore, STAT4 or IFN-gamma deficiency also increased chronic CVB3 myocarditis, indicating that therapeutic strategies aimed at reducing Th1-mediated autoimmune diseases may exacerbate common viral infections such as CVB3 and increase chronic inflammatory heart disease.
Data driven consistency (working title)

Many current applications in data science need rich model classes to adequately represent the statistics that may be driving the observations. But rich model classes may be too complex to admit estimators that converge to the truth with convergence rates that can be uniformly bounded over the entire collection of probability distributions comprising the model class, i.e. it may be impossible to guarantee uniform consistency of such estimators as the sample size increases. In such cases, it is conventional to settle for estimators with guarantees on convergence rate where the performance can be bounded in a model-dependent way, i.e. pointwise consistent estimators. But this viewpoint has the serious drawback that estimator performance is a function of the unknown model within the model class that is being estimated, and is therefore unknown. Even if an estimator is consistent, how well it is doing at any given time may not be clear, no matter what the sample size of the observations. Departing from the classical uniform/pointwise consistency dichotomy that leads to this impasse, a new analysis framework is explored by studying rich model classes that may only admit pointwise consistency guarantees, yet all the information about the unknown model driving the observations that is needed to gauge estimator accuracy can be inferred from the sample at hand. We expect that this data-derived estimation framework will be broadly applicable to a wide range of estimation problems by providing a methodology to deal with much richer model classes. In this paper we analyze the lossless compression problem in detail in this novel data-derived framework.
Distribution of Diffuse Optical Reflection around some Stereometric Surfaces

Mathematical expressions are given which permit straightforward calculation of the optical power reflected from some simple stereometric convex bodies into all directions for different angles of parallel incident light. The reflection is assumed to be Lambertian.
Non-Abelian gauge fields as Nambu-Goldstone fields

Gauge invariance is obtained as a consequence of the spontaneous breaking of a larger symmetry. The Yang--Mills gauge fields are the corresponding Nambu--Goldstone fields. This involves the study of field theories in a space with more than four dimensions. In a ''cylindrical'' sector these field theories reduce to new non-Abelian generalizations of Jordan--Brans--Dicke theory. The nonobservability of the excess dimensions (while a difficulty for theories in which these dimensions are bosonic) should cause no problems if the higher dimensions are fermionic. In the latter case, field theories in which all basic fields are at the same time Nambu--Goldstone and Yang--Mills fields become possible. The relation of this work to recent work on gravitation theory by Yang is explored.
A zebrafish LMO4 ortholog limits the size of the forebrain and eyes through negative regulation of six3b and rx3

The Six3 and Rx3 homeodomain proteins are essential for the specification and proliferation of forebrain and retinal precursor cells of the vertebrate brain, and the regulatory networks that control their expression are beginning to be elucidated. We identify the zebrafish lmo4b gene as a negative regulator of forebrain growth that acts via restriction of six3 and rx3 expression during early segmentation stages. Loss of lmo4b by morpholino knockdown results in enlargement of the presumptive telencephalon and optic vesicles and an expansion of the post-gastrula expression domains of six3 and rx3. Overexpression of lmo4b by mRNA injection causes complementary phenotypes, including a reduction in the amount of anterior neural tissue, especially in the telencephalic, optic and hypothalamic primordia, and a dosage-sensitive reduction in six3 and rx3 expression. We suggest that lmo4b activity is required at the neural boundary to restrict six3b expression, and later within the neural plate to for attenuation of rx3 expression independently of its effect on six3 transcription. We propose that lmo4b has an essential role in forebrain development as a modulator of six3 and rx3 expression, and thus indirectly influences neural cell fate commitment, cell proliferation and tissue growth in the anterior CNS.
Emission of electric and magnetic dipoles in plasmonic systems

Spontaneous emission of Eu3+ is significantly modified in close vicinity of metal and nanostructured metal systems. The effects are different than those predicted by the “image model”, and ascribed to strong coupling with plasmonic modes.
Higgs Production and Decay from TeV Scale Black Holes at the LHC

We perform a detailed study of the Higgs production and decay, when Higgs is emitted from the black holes produced in proton-proton collisions at the Large Hadron Collider. We show that black hole production can significantly enhance the signal for the Higgs search at the LHC. We evaluate rapidity distribution of diphotons and transverse momentum distribution of bottom quarks, photons, tau leptons, top quarks, and W bosons from Higgs decay, when Higgs is emitted from the black hole and also in the case when these particles are produced directly from the black hole evaporation. We compare our results with the standard model backgrounds. We find that Higgs production from black holes is dominant over standard model production for p{sub T}{sup H}>100 GeV, when M{sub P}=1 TeV. Diphotons from Higgs, when Higgs is produced from evaporation of black holes, are dominant over the standard model prediction, for diphoton rapidity |y{sub {gamma}}{sub {gamma}}|{ 300 GeV, when M{sub P}=1 TeV. We show that measurements of the photon and bottom quark transverse momentum distribution can provide valuable information about the value of the fundamental Planck scale. We alsomore » propose a new signal for black hole production at the LHC, an onset of increasing transverse momentum distribution of bottom quarks with large transverse momentum.« less
Electrochemical properties of colloidal Au-based surfaces : Multilayer assemblies and seeded colloid films

The preparation, characterization, and electrochemical properties of two types of conductive Au films are described. Both films are made entirely by wet chemical procedures. In the first, successive treatment of a Au colloid monolayer/glass substrate with (i) 2-mercaptoethylamine and (ii) colloidal Au in solution leads to systematic buildup of a Au colloid multilayer. After seven to eight layers of Au nanoparticles have been deposited, the multilayers become conductive. Cyclic voltammograms of several different redox couples show that the peak-to-peak separation decreases as the number of layers increases. In the second type of film, a solution of hydroxylamine and Au 3+ are used to selectively enlarge the size of a preimmobilized colloidal Au monolayer. Once the particles coalesce, the resulting film can be used to generate voltammograms with narrow peak separations. The ability to form conductive Au films using entirely wet-chemical steps may be valuable for fabrication of electrodes with complex shapes.