cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Preparation of cross‐sectional specimens of ceramic thermal barrier coatings for transmission electron microscopy

During the microstructural examination of ceramic thermal barrier coatings by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), initial efforts for the preparation of cross-sectional thin foils from interface regions by conventional means were mostly failures. Delamination of the Y2O3-stabilized ZrO2 ceramic coating from the nickel-base alloy substrate sometimes occurred during fine polishing at around 80 microns thickness but mostly occurred during dimpling. Because of this sensitivity, special techniques for mechanical handling were developed so that ion milling could give thin enough regions of the metal-ceramic interface. TEM showed convincingly that the highly fragile nature of the coatings is in fact due to the extensive porosity at the interface developed as a result of heat treatment.
EPR/PTFE Dosimetry for Test Reactor Environments

The use of Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectroscopy with materials such as alanine is well established as a technique for measurement of ionizing radiation absorbed dose in photon and electron fields such as Co-60, high-energy bremsstrahlung and electron-beam fields [1]. In fact, EPR/Alanine dosimetry has become a routine transfer standard for national standards bodies such as NIST and NPL. In 1992 the Radiation Metrology Laboratory (RML) at Sandia National Laboratories implemented EPR/Alanine capabilities for use in routine and calibration activities at its Co-60 and pulsed-power facilities. At that time it also investigated the usefulness of the system for measurement of absorbed dose in the mixed neutron/photon environments of reactors such as the Sandia Pulsed Reactor and the Annular Core Research Reactor used for hardness testing of electronics. The RML concluded that the neutron response of alanine was a sufficiently high fraction of the overall dosimeter response that the resulting uncertainties in the photon dose would be unacceptably large for silicon-device testing. However, it also suggested that non-hydrogenous materials such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) would exhibit smaller neutron response and might be useful in mixed environments. Preliminary research with PTFE in photon environments indicated considerable promise, but further development was not pursuedmore » at that time. Because of renewed interest in absorbed dose measurements that could better define the individual contributions of photon and neutron components to the overall dose delivered to a test object, the RML has re-initiated the development of an EPR/PTFE dosimetry system. This effort consists of three stages: 1) Identification of PTFE materials that may be suitable for dosimetry applications. It was speculated that the inconsistency of EPR signatures in the earlier samples may have been due to variability in PTFE manufacturing processes. 2) Characterization of dosimetry in photon-only environments. This is necessary to establish requirements for sample preparation, operating parameters and limitations for use in well-defined and predictable environments prior to deployment in the less well-defined mixed environments of test reactors. 3) Characterization of the EPR responses obtained with PTFE in mixed neutron/photon fields. This includes evaluation of the neutron and photon contributions to response, determination of applicable of neutron fluence and photon dose ranges. This paper presents a summary of the research, a description of the EPR/PTFE dosimetry system, and recommendations for preparation and fielding of the dosimetry in photon and mixed neutron/photon environments. (authors)« less
Baseline sensitivities to fludioxonil and pyrimethanil in Penicillium expansum populations from apple in Washington State

Abstract Penicillium expansum is the primary cause of blue mold, a common postharvest fruit rot disease of apple. In 2004, two new fungicides, fludioxonil and pyrimethanil, were registered for postharvest use on pome fruits in the U.S. To establish distribution of baseline sensitivity of P. expansum to fludioxonil and pyrimethanil before their commercial use, 120 isolates recovered from apple orchards and fruit packinghouses across the apple growing areas in central Washington were selected and tested in vitro for sensitivity to these two fungicides using mycelial growth assays. Baseline EC50 values ranged from 0.011 to 0.068 (average = 0.020) mg/L for fludioxonil and from 0.519 to 2.054 (average = 1.340) mg/L for pyrimethanil. One isolate showed reduced sensitivity to fludioxonil with an EC50 of 0.068 mg/L, which was significantly higher (P
Zero Correlation Zone Sequence Pair Sets for MIMO Radar

Inspired by recent advances in multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radar, we apply orthogonal phase coded waveforms to MIMO radar system in order to gain better range resolution and target direction finding performance. We provide and investigate a generalized MIMO radar system model using orthogonal phase coded waveforms. In addition, we slightly modify the system model to improve the system performance. Accordingly, we propose the concept and the design methodology for a set of ternary phase coded waveforms that is the optimized punctured zero correlation zone (ZCZ) sequence-pair set (ZCZPS). We also study the MIMO radar ambiguity function of the system using phase coded waveforms, based on which we analyze the properties of our proposed phase coded waveforms which show that better range resolution could be achieved. In the end, we apply our proposed codes to the two MIMO radar system models and simulate their target direction finding performances. The simulation results show that the first MIMO radar system model could obtain ideal target direction finding performance when the number of transmit antennas is equal to the number of receive antennas. The second MIMO radar system model is more complicated but could improve the direction finding performance of the system.
Robust Moment Based Estimation and Inference: The Generalized Cressie-Read Estimator

In this paper a range of information theoretic distance measures, based on Cressie-Read divergence, are combined with mean-zero estimating equations to provide an efficient basis for semi parametric estimation and testing. Asymptotic properties of the resulting semi parametric estimators are demonstrated and issues of implementation are considered.
Metabolism of isolated fat cells from various tissue sites in the rat: influence of hemorrhagic hypotension.

The in vitro lipolytic response to norepinephrine by rat adipocytes from epididymal, subcutaneous, perirenal, mesen- teric, and omental tissue sites was studied in control and hypo- tensive animals. Lipolysis per millimole of triglyceride was found to be three to four times higher in mesenteric and omental fat cells than in adipocytes of the other sites sampled. The high li- polytic activity of mesenteric and omental adipocytes was partly attributable to their smaller cell size; however, lipolysis per cell was also higher. Hemorrhagic hypotension caused a 50-6070 decrease in lipolytic activity at four of the five sites studied. Adi- pocytes of omental origin maintained their lipolytic activity at the prehypotensive level, however, indicating that the metabolic adjustments brought about by hemorrhagic hypotension are not uniform at all adipose tissue sites.
Anomalous-dispersion phase-matched second harmonic generation in polymer waveguides

We report on second-harmonic generation in a waveguide by using anomalous-dispersion phase matching (ADPM). In ADPM, a Chromophore with an absorption maximum between the fundamental and the harmonic wavelengths is doped into a host polymer that exhibits normal dispersion. At the proper Chromophore concentration, the normal dispersion of the host on the high-energy side of the absorption is canceled by the anomalous dispersion of the chromophore, creating equal indices of refraction at the fundamental and harmonic wavelengths. The use of ADPM has previously been demonstrated in solution by using electric-field-induced second-harmonic generation1 (EFISH).
The effect of particle size of the heterogenous-bone transplant on the host-tissue vascular penetration.

The anterior chamber of the eye of the albino rat was found to be well suited as an ectopic site for a visual study of the vascularization of bone-graft material. The pattern and rate of vascularization of the calf-bone heterografts of large size and small-particle size were studied at intervals throughout twenty weeks. Autogenous cancellous bone was used for comparison, and 121 implantations were performed. Vascular penetration of the heterograft when it is in the form of a conglomerate paste occurs as rapidly as it does in the cancellous-bone autograft of large-particle size. There appears to be no particular barrier to vascular penetration. Large-size heterografts, on the other hand, do not demonstrate any degree of deep penetration but do show a surface vascularization. There is no appreciable difference in the host vascular response to various types of calf-bone heterografts of large size, whether they are "fresh" or stored in plasma or saline solution.
A Hybrid HMM/DNN Approach to Keyword Spotting of Short Words

An HMM/DNN framework is proposed to address the issues of short-word detection. The first-stage keyword hypothesizer is redesigned with a context-aware keyword model and a 9state filler model to reduce the miss rate from 80% to 6% and increase the figure-of-merit (FOM) from 6.08% to 21.88% for short words. The hypothesizer is followed by a MLP-based second-stage keyword verifier to further reduce its putative hits. To enhance short word detection, three new techniques, including an HMM-based feature transformation for the MLPs, knowledge-based features, and deep neural networks, are incorporated into redesigning the verifier. With a set of nine short keywords from the TIMIT set the best FOM we had achieved for the proposed KWS system was 42.79%, which is comparable with that of 42.6% for long content words and much better than the FOM of 18.4% for short keywords reported in previous research [10].
A Fair Exchange: Exploring How Online Privacy is Valued

Superficially free information services, such as social media platforms, search websites, and mobile apps. Earn revenue by collecting, aggregating, and monetizing user data. Users of these systems must give up control over this data in order to participate in the digital ecology. In a pilot study that queried the views of American university students, we explored the level of understanding young Americans have about data tracking and data mining and investigated some key value propositions about the perceived fairness of the "data-for-service" business model. Our study participants generally considered the exchange to be fair, but these feelings were nuanced, contextual, and somewhat plastic. Subjects frequently expressed distrust in the providers of popular information services. They also expressed reservations about current practices, particularly after learning more about data mining and user profiling during the focus group. We suggest that gender and age are factors in attitudes about privacy in digital environments.
Surgical Treatment of Spinal Tumors

A series of 20 spinal tumors in children who underwent surgery between 1995 and 2003 is reported from Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Ankara, Turkey.
Analysis of Horizontal Strain Measurements, 1971–1980, Wilmington Oil Field

A system of long distance, horizontal strain lines has been established in Wilmington Oil Field, Long Beach, California. The length of these lines, which ranges from about 2,600 to 18,000 feet (729 to 5,486 m), is established twice yearly using electro-optical, line-of-sight ranging devices. These lines are used to measure changes in compression and tension over the Wilmington Oil Field subsidence bowl. The ground surface is unstable owing to water injection operations which slowly raise and lower the ground surface. Most of the strain lines that are shorter than about 5,000 feet (1,524 m) lengthen as the surface is raised and shorten as it is lowered. The amount of length change roughly duplicates elevation change. Average strains over the total line lengths are in the order of 10 −4 to 10 −5 , which as a general rule do not harm surface structures.
Black Lives Matter and Bridge Building: Labor Education for a “New Jim Crow” Era

This article uses labor history and black history to highlight how labor education can be a crucial tool for unions to respond to the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement in a way that supports and re...
Determination of Pentachlorophenol in Environmental Water by LC- MS and Ultrasonic Assisted Extraction with Ionic Liquid

A method was developed for the determination of pentachlorophenol( PCP) in environmental water by liquid chromatography- mass spectrometry( LC- MS) coupled with ultrasonic assisted extraction with ionic liquid. An ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate([C4mim][PF6]),was used as extraction solvent to extract PCP in water samples. The extraction parameters,such as sample volume,temperature,ultrasonic extraction time,inorganic salt concentration and solution p H value were investigated. The chromatographic separation was performed on a XDB C18(150 mm × 2. 1 mm,5 μm) column with a mobile phase of methanol- 2 mmol/L ammonium acetate solution(70 ∶ 30). Detection was carried out by LC- MS using a negative electrospray ionization interface under the selected ion monitoring( SIM) mode. The calibration curve was linear within the range of 0. 005- 1. 0 μg·L- 1with a correlation coefficient of 0. 999 2. The limit of quantitation( LOQ) was 0. 005 μg · L- 1. The extraction recoveries were between 91. 0% and 97. 0%,and the intra-day RSDs were between 1. 1% and 5. 4%,and the inter-day RSDs were between 3. 8%and 8. 3%. The developed method was simple,accurate and specific,and could be used for the determination of trace PCP in environmental water.
Occam bound on lowest complexity of elements

Abstract The combined universal probability M ( D ) of strings x in sets D is close to max x ∈ D ⁡ M ( { x } ) : their ∼logs differ by at most D's information j = I ( D : H ) about the halting sequence H . Thus if all x have complexity K ( x ) ≥ k , D carries ≥i bits of information on each x where i + j ∼ k . Note, there are no ways (whether natural or artificial) to generate D with significant I ( D : H ) .
Clinical usefulness of beta-adrenergic blocking agents.

The potential usefulness of beta-adrenergic blocking agents may far exceed present uses. Propranolol, for example, in addition to being predictably effective for many arrhythmias, has been beneficial in such conditions as angina pectoris, hypertension, and thyrotoxicosis.
Explaining state constitutional changes

The article aims to analyze the fundamentals and the methods of state constitutional changes in the United States. It recognizes a certain pattern in the political processes of state constitutional changes, but it also points out that, in each case, some specific social groups act more intensely. Furthermore, it analyzes how external political forces can influence changes in state Constitutions. Finally, it concludes that, as a rule, the United States is currently undergoing a period in which there is a certain resistance to the creation of new state Constitutions, with greater popular preference for specific changes in the existing Constitutions.
18 – 3D Mesh Compression

This chapter discusses 3D compression techniques for reducing the delays in transmitting triangle meshes over the Internet. It first explains how vertex coordinates, which represent surface samples, may be compressed through quantization, prediction, and entropy coding. It then describes how the connectivity, which specifies how the surface interpolates these samples, may be compressed by compact encoding of the parameters of a connectivity-graph construction process and by transmission of the vertices in the order in which they are encountered during this process. The storage of triangle meshes compressed with these techniques is usually reduced to about a byte per triangle. When the exact geometry and connectivity of the mesh are not essential, the triangulated surface may be simplified or retiled. Although simplification techniques and the progressive transmission of refinements may be used as a compression tool, the chapter focuses on recently proposed retiling techniques, designed specifically to improve 3D compression.
Data Analysis, Using the Metrics

Several applications of metrics on fully ranked data have already been proposed by various authors, especially Mallows [Ml], Diaconis [D2], and Friedman and Rafsky [F3, F4]. These applications include fitting probability models to fully ranked data, clustering ranked data for a goodness-of-fit test, multidimensional scaling for fully ranked data, and testing for significant differences between two populations of rankers. A nice presentation of the uses of metrics on fully ranked data is in Diaconis’ monograph [D2].
Discoidin Domain Receptors in Normal Mammary Development and Breast Cancer Progression

The interaction of breast epithelial cells with the surrounding extracellular matrix (ECM) is known to play a pivotal role during normal mammary gland development and function. It is also critical during the pathological changes that lead to breast cancer initiation and progression. A bidirectional crosstalk emerges upon interactions of epithelial cells with the ECM, which eventually dictates the genotypic and phenotypic programs that define normal gland function. Consequently, disruption of this communication contributes to the development of malignant phenotypes, which illustrate the process of breast cancer progression. The Discoidin Domain Receptors (DDRs) are collagen-binding receptor tyrosine kinases that are emerging as key mediators of cell−collagen interactions in breast tissues. DDRs signal in response to both basement membrane and interstitial collagens and thus they are well positioned to activate matrix-induced cellular programs during normal mammary gland development and function, and during dissemination of breast cancer cells. This chapter summarizes the current knowledge on the expression and function of DDRs in breast epithelial cells and their potential involvement in physiological and malignant processes. We also discuss the current challenges in understanding DDR expression and function in breast cancer tissues and experimental models and their potential as therapeutic targets.
Increasing ankle push-off work with a powered prosthesis does not necessarily reduce metabolic rate for transtibial amputees

Abstract Amputees using passive ankle-foot prostheses tend to expend more metabolic energy during walking than non-amputees, and reducing this cost has been a central motivation for the development of active ankle–foot prostheses. Increased push-off work at the end of stance has been proposed as a way to reduce metabolic energy use, but the effects of push-off work have not been tested in isolation. In this experiment, participants with unilateral transtibial amputation ( N =6) walked on a treadmill at a constant speed while wearing a powered prosthesis emulator. The prosthesis delivered different levels of ankle push-off work across conditions, ranging from the value for passive prostheses to double the value for non-amputee walking, while all other prosthesis mechanics were held constant. Participants completed six acclimation sessions prior to a data collection in which metabolic rate, kinematics, kinetics, muscle activity and user satisfaction were recorded. Metabolic rate was not affected by net prosthesis work rate ( p =0.5; R 2 =0.007). Metabolic rate, gait mechanics and muscle activity varied widely across participants, but no participant had lower metabolic rate with higher levels of push-off work. User satisfaction was affected by push-off work ( p =0.002), with participants preferring values of ankle push-off slightly higher than in non-amputee walking, possibly indicating other benefits. Restoring or augmenting ankle push-off work is not sufficient to improve energy economy for lower-limb amputees. Additional necessary conditions might include alternate timing or control, individualized tuning, or particular subject characteristics.
Surveillance of women with a personal history of breast cancer by tumour subtype

Aim To determine if the rate and timing of a second breast cancer event (SBCE) in women with a personal history of breast cancer varies by disease subtype or breast imaging method. Materials and methods A retrospective review was performed of women with a SBCE from January 2006 to December 2010 at a single institution. Data analysed included oestrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status of the primary and second breast cancers; mammographic and ultrasound (US) features from SBCE; and the time interval between both events. Results Of 207 patients diagnosed with a SBCE, the median age at first diagnosis was 50.6 years, range 24.8 to 80.2; at second diagnosis was 56.2 years, range 25.8 to 87.9. Eleven percent of SBCE were diagnosed >10 years after the primary cancer diagnosis. The median time between the first and second diagnosis for ER-positive patients was 2.7 years (range 0.7–17.4 years); and 1.9 years for ER-negative patients, (range 0.4–23.4 years; p Conclusion There may be a role for customised imaging surveillance of women with a personal history of breast cancer (PHBC) after 10 years. Further studies are necessary to determine if US may be valuable in the surveillance of patients with ER-negative and TNBC tumours.
Tensile strength of thin film silver-carbon nanotube metal matrix composites for IMM solar cell electrode applications

IMM solar cell materials often suffer from cracking during a traditional life cycle that includes thermal cycling, shock and vibration, as well as other mechanical stressors. These cracks can limit or destroy the effectiveness of the cell by breaking electrical connections to certain areas of the cell. This work investigates the mechanical properties of carbon nanotube metal matrix composite (MMC) thin films to be used as the grid fingers of the cells. The study fabricates free standing thin films to characterize the pure material properties. The study finds that the grain size of the top Ag surface decreases from 180 to 90 nm with increasing areal densities of SWCNTs from 0 to 10 μg/cm2, respectively The samples are characterized by tensile testing, which shows that as-deposited samples progressively decrease in strength with increasing SWCNT loading. Annealing the samples results in a reduction of tensile strength for all samples. However, the reduction is less significant when low areal density films are incorporated into the composite. This leads to a 10% increase in strength compared to the control sample containing only annealed Ag (no SWCNTs). The volume percentage of low areal density thin film structures was increased by thinning Ag layers and increasing the number of SWCNT layers. The results show that increasing the volume percentage of SWCNTs in the composite leads to improvements in mechanical strength for annealed samples.
What is sent to spell-out is phases, not phasal complements

An appealing property of the phase theory is that it is relevant to many phenomena, i.e. many domain-based mechanisms are stated in terms of phases. However, although phasal complements have no theoretical status in the phase theory (only phases do), they are taken to define spell-out units. This paper argues for an approach where phases define spell-out domains, which means that what is sent to spell-out is the phase itself. Several arguments to this effect are presented regarding syntax phonology interaction (in particular, encliticization in Bulgarian and Arabic, stress assignment in German and English, raddoppiamento fonosintattico in Abruzzese, and tone sandhi in Taiwanese), as well as more theoretical issues such as labeling. The assumption, however, has significant consequences for successive-cyclic movement. If phases are sent to spell-out and what is sent to spell-out is inaccessible to the syntax, successive-cyclic movement cannot target phases. Under the account argued for here, successive-cyclic movement therefore does not proceed via phases (i.e. phasal edges). As a result, the account also eliminates the PIC.
Static and Time-Resolved Terahertz Measurements of Photoconductivity in Solution-Deposited Ruthenium Dioxide Nanofilms

Thin-film ruthenium dioxide (RuO2) is a promising alternative material as a conductive electrode in electronic applications because its rutile crystalline form is metallic and highly conductive. He...
An Integrated Framework for Evaluating the Security Solutions to IP-Based IoT Applications

As Internet of Things (IoT) applications have taken the center stage of the technology development recently, the security issues and concerns arise naturally and significantly due to IoT connection to the anonymous and untrusted internet. Although the security protocols and technology for the internet applications have been studied for decades, the ubiquity and heterogeneity of IoT applications present unique challenges in handling security issues and problems. In addition to developing new protocols or to upgrade the existing protocols, some research has been done in experimenting security approaches for IoT applications. Since the results of the current research are mainly based on either the related protocols or the applicable approaches, the results of the discussion is often limited to a particular environment or a specific situation. In this paper, based on a thorough study on the existing research accomplishment and published experiment results, an integrated framework is proposed for evaluating the security solutions for IP-based IoT applications with the considerations in hardware constraints, operational constraints and network scenarios. The results of the study shows the potentials in drawing a balanced view in evaluating the security solutions to IP-based IoT applications and laying a step-stone for the further standardization of related IoT protocols and approaches for the security issues.
Effect of hematocrit on microvascular pressures in 3- to 5-wk-old rabbit lungs.

To examine the effects of blood hematocrit (Hct) and apparent viscosity on the pulmonary microcirculation, we studied 30 isolated, perfused 3- to 5-wk-old rabbits with varying perfusate Hct. We partitioned total vascular resistance by measuring pulmonary artery and left atrial pressures and by micropuncture the pressures in the subpleural microcirculation in 20-40 microns diameter arterioles, 20-40 microns venules, and 250-300 microns venules. To prevent active vasomotion and changes in vessel geometry, we paralyzed the vasculature with papaverine hydrochloride. We studied four groups of lungs: group I (n = 7) with low Hct (17.8 +/- 2.4%); group II (n = 9) with medium Hct (46.8 +/- 8.2%); group III (n = 6) with high Hct (74.4 +/- 5.8%); and group IV (n = 8) with both low and high Hct perfusates. Lungs were perfused at constant flow (80 +/- 4 ml.kg body wt-1.min-1) in zone 3, airway and venous pressures being 6 and 8 cmH2O, respectively. We found that in lungs perfused with low Hct, approximately 52% of the total resistance was in arteries, approximately 25% in microvessels, and approximately 21% in small veins, with very little resistance in large veins. With an increase in perfusate hematocrit and apparent viscosity, total pulmonary vascular resistance increased mainly because of an increase in resistance in arteries and small veins, with little change in resistance in microvessels and large veins.
Primitive Anxieties, Gender Madness, and Perversions of Agency in Eating Disordered Patients: Commentary on Paper by Tom Wooldridge

The following is a discussion of Tom Wooldridge’s (this issue) paper on primitive anxieties in anorexia and his metaphor of the “entropic body” as a false self “body-state” (Petrucelli, 2014) that functions to omnipotently deny dependency. The focus here is on how, for the eating disordered patient, primitive anxieties related to dependency and containment intertwine with the challenges of rapprochement, in which separation, agency, and awareness of sex difference emerge in a traumatic field. This response emphasizes the clinical utility of conceptualizing eating disorders as disorders of a gendered, agentic self. Wooldridge’s clinical material is discussed with a focus on (a) the salience of gendered enactments in work with eating disordered patients and (b) the relationship between experiences of “entropy” in the clinical dyad and the mutual disavowal of gender-inflected identifications and desires.
Metabolomic analysis of longissimus from underperforming piglets relative to piglets with normal preweaning growth.

Recent increases in intra-litter variability in weaning weight have raised swine production costs. A contributor to this variability is the normal birth weight pig that grows at a slower rate than littermates of similar birth weight. The goal of this study was to interrogate biochemical profiles manifested in skeletal muscle originating from slow growing (SG) and faster growing littermates (control), with the aim of identifying differences in metabolic pathway utilization between skeletal muscle of the SG pig relative to its littermates. Samples of longissimus muscle from littermate pairs of pigs were collected at 21 d of age for metabolomic analysis (Metabolon, Inc., Durham, NC). Birth weights did not differ between littermate pairs of SG and Control pigs (P > 0.05). Weaning weights differed by 1.51 ± 0.19 kg (P < 0.001). Random forest (RF) analysis was effective at segregating the metabolome of muscle samples by growth rate, resulting in a predictive accuracy of 81% versus random segregation (50%). Decreases in sugars in the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) in the longissimus of SG pigs were detected (P < 0.05). Decreases were also apparent in glycolytic intermediates (glycerol-3-phosphate and lactate) and key glycolysis-derived intermediates (glucose-6-phosphate and fructose-6-phosphate; P < 0.05). SG pigs had increased levels of phospholipids, lysolipids, diacylglycerols, and sphingolipids (P < 0.05). Pathway analysis identified a cluster of molecules associated with muscle and collagen/extracellular matrix breakdown that are increased in the SG pig (glutamate, 3-methylhistidine and hydroxylated proline moieties; P < 0.05). Nicotinate metabolism was altered in SG pigs, resulting in a 78% decrease in the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide pool (P < 0.05). These metabolomic data provide the first evidence for biochemical mechanisms that should be investigated to determine if they have a potential role in the slow growth in some normal birth weight piglets that contribute to increased intra-litter variability in weaning weights and provides essential information and potential targets for the development of nutritional intervention strategies.
Neuroprotective Effects of Garlic in Model Systems of Neurodegenerative Diseases

Abstract Garlic has been used by humans worldwide for thousands of years for its strong flavor in cooking and for its medicinal purposes. Due to the presence of variety of biologically active sulfur-containing compounds (allicin, ajoenes, S -allyl cysteine, diallyl sulfide, diallyl disulfide, and diallyl trisulfide), garlic exerts antioxidant, antiinflammatory, antimicrobial, antithrombotic, antiatherosclerotic, antihypertensive, anticarcinogenic, and immune-boosting effects. Therefore garlic is considered as a potential therapeutic agent for preventing and treating a variety of diseases, including cardiovascular, atherosclerosis, hyperlipidemia, thrombosis, hypertension, dementia, cancer, and type 2 diabetes. Aged garlic extract and its components exert the neuroprotective effects in neurodegenerative diseases models of Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disease, Huntington disease, and cerebral ischemia. Due to strong health supporting potential, an increasing interest is developing for understanding the molecular mechanisms of garlic components underlying their neuroprotective effects. How do garlic and its specific components modulate various pathways leading to neuroprotection is the focus of this review.
Evaluation of a severe accident management strategy for boiling water reactors-drywell flooding

Flooding of the drywell has been suggested as a strategy to prevent reactor vessel and containment failure in boiling water reactors. To evaluate the candidate strategy, this study considers accident management as a decision problem ( drywell flooding'' versus do nothing'') and develops a decision-oriented framework, namely, the influence diagram approach. This analysis chooses the long-term station blackout sequence for a Mark 1 nuclear power plant (Peach Bottom), and an influence diagram with a single decision node is constructed. The node probabilities in the influence diagram are obtained from US Nuclear Regulatory Commission reports or estimated by probabilistic risk assessment methodology. In assessing potential benefits compared with adverse effects, this analysis uses two consequence measures, i.e., early and late fatalities, as decision criteria. The analysis concludes that even though potential adverse effects exist, such as ex-vessel steam explosions and containment isolation failure, the drywell flooding strategy is preferred to do nothing'' when evaluated in terms of these consequence measures.
Genetic Algorithms and Expert Systems

While expert systems and conventional operations research techniques are effective for a wide range of problems, other tasks and complex real-world problems are impossible or at least difficult to address with these technologies. For example, applications involving scheduling and resource planning continue to be challenging subjects of research and development. Generic methods are sought that can be applied easily to practical problems. Genetic algorithms are receiving considerable attention and are proving to be important in practice. However, the addition of domain knowledge through heuristic rales can have a positive effect on the performance of genetic algorithm solutions.
Broken Politics: The Influence of Partisan Debate on Policy Attitudes

The substantive elements of policies (such as their provisions and costs) are generally considered to be the primary factors that shape public attitudes toward them. Policy proposals with popular provisions should, therefore, enjoy broad public support. Yet, this wisdom is not always born out. For instance, the provisions of President Obama’s Affordable Care Act were widely popular, and yet the policy itself met broad public disapproval. This paper argues that non-substantive considerations can shape public policy attitudes in predictable and important ways. Specifically, I use a controlled experiment to demonstrate that bills associated with heated partisan debate receive less public support than do identical bills that do not generate such controversy. These findings have important implications for the broader work on public policy attitudes at both the micro and macro levels. They indicate that policy attitudes are sensitive to the process by which policies are made — and the ways in which that process is characterized by the news media.
An Introduction to Item Response Theory.

An overview of item response theory is presented. Basic models are described, and various applications are illustrated. Applications discussed include instrument construction and computerized testing.
Experience Sampling Response Modes: Comparing Voice and Online Surveys

When conducting experience sampling studies, one important decision that researchers must make is the method by which surveys are administered. Dozens of reviews and recommendations cover types of response modes, including paper and pencil, online survey, and interactive voice response. However, few studies have empirically tested differences across response methods, and no studies have compared online surveys to interactive voice response surveys. Using a time-based experience sampling design, the present study investigates differences in compliance, data quality, and participant burden when using interactive voice response and online surveys. Results indicate no differences in terms of compliance rates and number of responses between the two methods. Interactive voice response produced lengthier qualitative responses, although there were no differences in the clarity of qualitative responses. Finally, online surveys may alleviate time burden, particularly as the number of items increases.
Proteases Shape the Chlamydomonas Secretome: Comparison to Classical Neuropeptide Processing Machinery.

The recent identification of catalytically active peptidylglycine α-amidating monooxygenase (PAM) in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, a unicellular green alga, suggested the presence of a PAM-like gene and peptidergic signaling in the last eukaryotic common ancestor (LECA). We identified prototypical neuropeptide precursors and essential peptide processing enzymes (subtilisin-like prohormone convertases and carboxypeptidase B-like enzymes) in the C.reinhardtii genome. Reasoning that sexual reproduction by C. reinhardtii requires extensive communication between cells, we used mass spectrometry to identify proteins recovered from the soluble secretome of mating gametes, and searched for evidence that the putative peptidergic processing enzymes were functional. After fractionation by SDS-PAGE, signal peptide-containing proteins that remained intact, and those that had been subjected to cleavage, were identified. The C. reinhardtii mating secretome contained multiple matrix metalloproteinases, cysteine endopeptidases, and serine carboxypeptidases, along with one subtilisin-like proteinase. Published transcriptomic studies support a role for these proteases in sexual reproduction. Multiple extracellular matrix proteins (ECM) were identified in the secretome. Several pherophorins, ECM glycoproteins homologous to the Volvox sex-inducing pheromone, were present; most contained typical peptide processing sites, and many had been cleaved, generating stable N- or C-terminal fragments. Our data suggest that subtilisin endoproteases and matrix metalloproteinases similar to those important in vertebrate peptidergic and growth factor signaling play an important role in stage transitions during the life cycle of C.reinhardtii.
Daily mental lapses and the subjective experience of true self-alienation

Abstract The current research drew upon cross-sectional evidence that feelings of being disconnected from one’s “true” self (true self-alienation) covary with tendencies to become mentally detached from present environmental stimuli (mind wandering). Two longitudinal studies tested the prospective associations between true self-alienation and mind wandering. Study 1 found evidence for a positive association between true self-alienation and mind wandering at the trait level only. Study 2, which employed a more optimal design, revealed reciprocal positive prospective associations between with-in person fluctuations in “true” self-alienation and mind wandering. Our results provide new evidence for the association between true self-alienation and mind wandering and suggest that basic aspects of conscious experience are prospectively linked to feelings of self-alienation.
Holographic fabrication of graded photonic super-crystals using spatial light modulator

Using the pixel-by-pixel phase engineering in a spatial light modulator together with reflective optical element, we have studied holographic fabrication of graded photonic super-crystals with a square lattice in square and hexagonal symmetries.
Determination of the Barley Diseases in Bingöl Province of Turkey

Five barley fields in Genc, Adakli and Central district of Bingol province of Turkey were investigated for the presence of barley diseases in 2018. Spot form of net blotch caused by Drechslera teres f. maculata, net form of net blotch caused by Drechslera teres f. teres, scald caused by Rhynchosporium commune, powdery mildew caused by Erysiphe graminis f. sp. hordei, barley stripe caused by Drechslera graminea and covered smut caused by Ustilago hordei were found among the fields inspected. Prevalence and severity of these diseases showed variation.
Percent Base Design and Initial Award Performance in Design-Build Highway Projects

AbstractThe project influence curve postulates that planning efforts conducted early in a project can influence project success more than later efforts. Although front-end planning has been shown t...
The impact of age on general and bladder cancer-specific quality of life among bladder cancer survivors.

463Background: Quality of life among cancer survivors has been shown to vary by age. Our objective was to evaluate differences in general and bladder cancer-specific quality of life based on age am...
Gaming Disorder: A New Diagnosis? Part 2.

Edited by Jacquelyn H. Flaskerud, RN, PhD, FAAN School of Nursing, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA Janna Lesser, RN PhD, FAAN School of Nursing, University of Texas Health Sc...
From Icebox to Tinderbox - A View from the Southern Border.

From Icebox to Tinderbox The situation on the U.S.–Mexico border is a public health crisis of our country’s own manufacturing, the result of a zealous effort to shirk our responsibility to people f...
The epistolary politics of Virginia Woolf & Ta-Nehisi Coates

In this essay, Erica Gene Delsandro reads Virginia Woolf’s Three Guineas (1938) in tandem with Ta-Nehisi Coates’s Between the World and Me (2015), highlighting the political efficacy of epistolary ...
MCCS, a novel characterization method for protein–ligand complex

Delineating the fingerprint or feature vector of a receptor/protein will facilitate the structural and biological studies, as well as the rational design and development of drugs with high affinities and selectivity. However, protein is complicated by its different functional regions that can bind to some of its protein partner(s), substrate(s), orthosteric ligand(s) or allosteric modulator(s) where cogent methods like molecular fingerprints do not work well. We here elaborate a scoring-function-based computing protocol Molecular Complex Characterizing System to help characterize the binding feature of protein-ligand complexes. Based on the reported receptor-ligand interactions, we first quantitate the energy contribution of each individual residue which may be an alternative of MD-based energy decomposition. We then construct a vector for the energy contribution to represent the pattern of the ligand recognition at a receptor and qualitatively analyze the matching level with other receptors. Finally, the energy contribution vector is explored for extensive use in similarity and clustering. The present work provides a new approach to cluster proteins, a perspective counterpart for determining the protein characteristics in the binding, and an advanced screening technique where molecular docking is applicable.
Adaptive shifts underlie the divergence in wing morphology in bombycoid moths

The evolution of flapping flight is linked to the prolific success of insects. Across Insecta, wing morphology diversified, strongly impacting aerodynamic performance. In the presence of ecological opportunity, discrete adaptive shifts and early bursts are two processes hypothesized to give rise to exceptional morphological diversification. Here, we use the sister-families Sphingidae and Saturniidae to answer how the evolution of aerodynamically important traits is linked to clade divergence and through what process(es) these traits evolve. Many agile Sphingidae evolved hover-feeding behaviors, while adult Saturniidae lack functional mouth parts and rely on a fixed energy budget as adults. We find that Sphingidae underwent an adaptive shift in wing morphology coincident with life history and behavior divergence, evolving small high aspect-ratio wings advantageous for power reduction that can be moved at high frequencies, beneficial for flight control. In contrast, Saturniidae, which do not feed as adults, evolved large wings and morphology which surprisingly does not reduce aerodynamic power, but could contribute to their erratic flight behavior, aiding in predator avoidance. We suggest that after the evolution of flapping flight, diversification of wing morphology can be potentiated by adaptative shifts, shaping the diversity of wing morphology across insects.
A Deep Learning Approach to Sensor Fusion Inference at the Edge

The advent of large scale urban sensor networks has enabled a paradigm shift of how we collect and interpret data. By equipping these sensor nodes with emerging low-power hardware accelerators, they become powerful edge devices, capable of locally inferring latent features and trends from their fused multivariate data. Unfortunately, traditional inference techniques are not well suited for operation in edge devices, or simply fail to capture many statistical aspects of these low-cost sensors. As a result, these methods struggle to accurately model nonlinear events. In this work, we propose a deep learning methodology that is able to infer unseen data by learning complex trends and the distribution of the fused time-series inputs. This novel hybrid architecture combines a multivariate Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) branch and two convolutional branches to extract time-series trends as well as short-term features. By normalizing each input vector, we are able to magnify features and better distinguish trends between series. As a demonstration of the broad applicability of this technique, we use data from a currently deployed pollution monitoring network of low-cost sensors to infer hourly ozone concentrations at the device level. Results indicate that our technique greatly outperforms traditional linear regression techniques by 6 × as well as state-of-the-art multivariate time-series techniques by 1.4 × in mean squared error. Remarkably, we also show that inferred quantities can achieve lower variability than the primary sensors which produce the input data.
Lossless convexification of optimal control problems with annular control constraints

Abstract This paper presents new mathematical results for lossless convexification of optimal control problems with a non-convex annular control constraint. The problem is relevant because it is representative of a rocket landing problem. It was studied previously with an assumption at the final point (e.g., free final time), and it was shown that controllability is a sufficient condition to solve the problem as a sequence of convex programs. Herein, a sufficient condition is given for certain fixed time problems to be solvable as a single convex program. The main result is that controllability is also a sufficient condition for solving the general fixed time problem as a sequence of convex programs.
Quevedo. Las zahurdas de Plutón : El sueño del infierno. Édition critique et synoptique par Amédée Mas. Poitiers. [S.N. : S.L.], 1955. 112 p.

Se reseno el libro: Las zahurdas de Pluton (El sueno del infierno) . Edition critique et synoptique par Amedee Mas.