cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Responsiveness of the U.S. Trade Flows to Changes in Chinese Currency

This study examines the trade flows between the U.S. and China to find the effect of changes in the renminbi on the U.S. trade deficit. The conclusions reveal that the U.S. imports from China are more sensitive to changes in the U.S. income than the U.S. exports to China to the changes in the Chinese income level. Furthermore, a one percent appreciation of the renminbi leads to an about 0.82 percent decrease in the value of the U.S. imports from China and an about two percent increase in the value of the U.S. exports to China.
The Implications of Justice Kennedy’s Opinion in United States v. Windsor

This paper discusses the implication of the Supreme Court’s decision in United States v. Windsor. My particular focus will be to assess whether Justice Kennedy’s opinion will be a durable precedent that will result in invalidating state laws that restrict marriage to relationships between a man and a woman. In my view (and this is not the first time this point has been made), Justice Kennedy’s opinion in Windsor is a disaster in terms of judicial craftsmanship. In this respect, his Windsor opinion has much in common with two other Supreme Court rulings on important social issues — Justice Kennedy’s own opinion in Lawrence v. Texas and Justice Blackmun’s opinion in Roe v. Wade. Those opinions, despite their status as "landmarks," have not had the sort of broad impact that some claim. Because these opinions are so weak, they have not had the broad impact that they would have had if they had been clearly and more securely rooted in accepted constitutional doctrine. Windsor shares these same flaws, and in my view, that suggests that the opinion will not have a major impact. The Court may, of course, later invalidate state laws that restrict marriage to relationships between a man and a woman. If that happens, though, that will likely be due to a broader social acceptance of homosexual relationships. I do not believe that such a cultural shift is inevitable. And, Justice Kennedy’s opinion in Windsor has created an opening for defenders of traditional marriage.
Memoirs: On the Histology and Regeneration of the Teleost Scale

The Teleost scale, as typified in the goldfish, is covered intimately by two layers of cells on the external surface. The internal surface of the young scale is invested with a cell layer which is continuous with the deeper external layer. These cells may be regarded as osteoblasts and osteocytes and are concerned with the formation of the outer bony portion of the scale. In the development of regenerate scales, osteoblasts pass from the periphery of the scale pocket to the growing edge of the scale. The latter consists at first of osteoid tissue, which later becomes calcified. The fibrillary plate is at first collagenous but apparently becomes infiltrated with ichthylepidin after being laid down. The scale is wholly mesodermal in its tissue relationships. The ridges of the scale are formed between cell rows of the deeper external cell layer. They are not the product of specific cells. Eidge formation probably depends on the presence of boneforming materials in the intercellular fluid in amounts greater than can be utilized at the growing margin. These are deposited between cells in the vicinity. The sulci of ontogenetic scales represent lines of flexibility. This condition is attained not only by the absence of the bony layer but by a special condition of the underlying fibrillary plate, which apparently does not become impregnated with ichthylepidin beneath the grooves. Regenerate scales may be monocentric, in which case a relatively large central area is devoid of ridges. Absence of ridges is interpreted as due to the utilization of all available scaleforming material at the growing margin. The size of the central area does not correspond to the size of the original scale. In the goldfish the regenerate scale is commonly polycentric, the bony portion developing from more or less numerous growth centres whose ultimate margins are indicated by grooves similar to the sulci of ontogenetic scales. The number of growth centres depends in a general way on the space available. The fibrillary plate is continuous beneath the bony islets but remains flexible beneath the grooves. Three processes contribute to the re-scaling of areas from which scales and pockets have been removed: (1) enlargement of ontogenetic scales at the margin of the wound area, (2) regeneration of scales in partially destroyed pockets at the margin of the wound area, (3) development of new scales within the wound area. New and regenerate scales always develop in the vicinity of pre-existing scales or papillae, under the influence of specific osteogenic cells which do not arise de novo from the corium.
PVWatts Version 1 Technical Reference

The NREL PVWatts(TM) calculator is a web application developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) that estimates the electricity production of a grid-connected photovoltaic system based on a few simple inputs. PVWatts combines a number of sub-models to predict overall system performance, and makes several hidden assumptions about performance parameters. This technical reference details the individual sub-models, documents assumptions and hidden parameters, and explains the sequence of calculations that yield the final system performance estimation.
Dynamic Effects in the Reverse Flow Velocity Field

At high edgewise flow speeds, reversed flow causes excursions in pitching moment and blade torsion on the rotor blades of helicopters and wind turbines. Our prior work has shown that a yawed fixed wing at angle of attack in reversed flow generates a sharp-edge vortex. The sharp-edge vortex is a primary feature of the flow under the rotor blade. During operation as a rotor blade at high advance ratio in a wind tunnel, stereo PIV results show that the well-formed sharp-edge vortex at 240 degrees azimuth resembles that on a forward-swept wing. This vortex stops growing before 270 degrees and convects with the blade by 300 degrees. Static pressure computed from interpolated velocity data show the effects of vortex-induced radial pressure gradient. This explains the finding of inboard-directed radial flow at 300 degrees azimuth, overcoming centrifugal effects. Viscous stress is shown to have only a minor effect on the static pressure field computation.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
In-vivo cell tracking to quantify endothelial cell migration during zebrafish angiogenesis

The mechanism of endothelial cell migration as individual cells or collectively while remaining an integral component of a functional blood vessel has not been well characterized. In this study, our overarching goal is to define an image processing workflow to facilitate quantification of how endothelial cells within the first aortic arch and are proximal to the zebrafish heart behave in response to the onset of flow (i.e. onset of heart beating). Endothelial cell imaging was conducted at this developmental time-point i.e. ~24-28 hours post fertilization (hpf) when flow first begins, using 3D+time two-photon confocal microscopy of a live, wild-type, transgenic, zebrafish expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) in endothelial cell nuclei. An image processing pipeline comprised of image signal enhancement, median filtering for speckle noise reduction, automated identification of the nuclei positions, extraction of the relative movement of nuclei between consecutive time instances, and finally tracking of nuclei, was designed for achieving the tracking of endothelial cell nuclei and the identification of their movement towards or away from the heart. Pilot results lead to a hypothesis that upon the onset of heart beat and blood flow, endothelial cells migrate collectively towards the heart (by 21.51±10.35 μm) in opposition to blood flow (i.e. subtending 142.170±21.170 with the flow direction).
Zonisamide-induced Angle Closure and Myopic Shift

Purpose To present a previously unreported case of angle closure secondary to the sulfonamide derivative zonisamide, to introduce eye care providers to zonisamide, and to review sulfonamide-induced angle closure. Zonisamide is a relatively new sulfonamide derivative indicated for epilepsy and used off-label for migraines. Although angle closure secondary to systemic medications such as topiramate and other sulfonamide derivatives is well documented, this is the first case of zonisamide-induced angle closure and myopic shift to be reported. Case report A 39-year-old Hispanic woman presented with sudden vision loss OU with a concurrent bilateral frontal headache. No changes in health were reported other than initiating zonisamide for refractory migraines 2 weeks prior. Ocular history was significant only for low myopia. Entering visual acuities were 20/400 OD, OS. Manifest refraction revealed a 3-diopter myopic shift OU with best-corrected visual acuities of 20/20 OD, OS. On slit lamp examination, the anterior chamber angles were narrow OU and gonioscopy confirmed partially occluded angles OU. The intraocular pressures were elevated OU. B-scan ultrasonography exhibited peripheral choroidal effusion OU. With discontinuation of zonisamide, the patient experienced full recovery. Conclusions With increasing use of zonisamide, practitioners should be aware of its sulfonamide derivative properties and the risk of secondary angle closure.
Metabolic acidosis in the alligator.

SummarySympathomimetic agents produce a severe lactate acidemia in the alligator. Although the lactate concentration often exceeded the initial alkali reserve, over 90% survived by withdrawing sodium from sources outside the extracellular fluid. The extracellular osmotic pressure rose sharply during the acute acidotic phase and fell when the lactate was metabolized. There was no evidence that K contributed to the defense against this acidemia.
Novel poly(imide dioxime) sorbents: Development and testing for enhanced extraction of uranium from natural seawater

Abstract A new series of amidoxime-based polymer adsorbents were synthesized at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) by electron beam induced grafting of acrylonitrile and itaconic acid onto polyethylene fiber. Hydroxylamine derivatives of poly(acrylonitrile) (PAN) moiety are demonstrated to possess two kinds of functional groups: open-chain amidoxime and cyclic imide dioxime. The open-chain amidoxime is shown to convert to imide dioxime on heat treatment in the presence of an aprotic solvent, like dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). The formation of amidoxime and imide dioxime was confirmed by 13C CP-MAS spectra. The adsorbents were evaluated for uranium adsorption efficiency at ORNL with simulated seawater spiked with 8 ppm uranium and 5 gallon seawater in a batch reactor, and in flow-through columns with natural seawater at the Marine Science Laboratory (MSL) of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) at Sequim Bay, WA. The DMSO-heat-treated sorbents adsorbed uranium as high as 4.48 g-U/kg-ads. from seawater. Experimental evidence is presented that the poly(imide dioxime) is primarily responsible for enhanced uranium adsorption capacity from natural seawater. The conjugated system in the imide dioxime ligand possesses increased electron donation ability, which is believed to significantly enhance the uranyl coordination in seawater.
Wetting Of Ion Containg Polymers: Micelles Versus Molecular Absorption

The wetting behavior of perfluorinated ionomers has been investigated as a function of polymer-surface interaction, the nature of the counter-ion and the structure of the polymer in the solvent from which it has been cast onto the surface. Two different ion-containing polymers, with a per-fluoro-carbon backbone were studied. They differ in the chemical composition and the polarity of their side chains. AFM results together with neutron reflectivity, light scattering and surface tension measurements had shown that the structure of the polymer in the parent solution has a profound effect on the wetting properties as well as the surface structure of the polymers.
Higher-Order Differential Equations

This chapter discusses higher order differential equations. It defines nth order ordinary linear differential equation and provides several examples of this equation and their solutions. The chapter also highlights two theorems that show that under reasonable conditions the nth order homogeneous equation has a fundamental set of n solutions. It then shows solutions of nth order linear homogeneous equations with constant coefficients with various examples. The general solutions of the nth order homogeneous linear differential equation with constant coefficients are determined by the solutions of its characteristic equation. The chapter defines characteristic equation of the nth order homogeneous linear differential equation. The command DSolve can be used to solve nth order linear homogeneous differential equations with constant coefficients as long as n is smaller than 5. In cases when the roots of the characteristic equation are symbolically complicated, approximations of the roots of the characteristic equation can be computed with the command NRoots. The chapter provides solutions of nonhomogeneous equations with constant coefficients by the annihilator method. The auxiliary equation of higher order Cauchy–Euler equations is defined in the same way and the solutions of higher order homogeneous Cauchy–Euler equations are determined in the same manner as solutions of the higher order homogeneous differential equations with constant coefficients. The chapter further analyzes the ordinary differential equations with nonconstant coefficients, such as exact second-order, autonomous, and equidimensional equations.
(Idiosyncratic) Credit-spread Risk and the Dynamics of Liquidity, Leverage and Maturity of Debt

I study the joint dynamics of leverage, maturity and liquidity choices of a firm. Long-term debt is safer as it limits the firm’s exposure to roll-over losses driven by credit-spread risk, but short-term debt gives firms more flexibility in reducing leverage. As a result, firms have positive cash and debt balances, firms closer to default prefer short-term debt, relation between leverage and maturity is positive, and maturity structure is non-evenly spread-out. Higher volatility of cash flows makes firms riskier and they opt for shorter-maturity debt, while higher idiosyncratic volatility of credit spreads makes firms chose longer-term borrowing and higher cash balances.
Characterizing the Utility and Limitations of Repurposing an Open-Field Optical Imaging Device for Fluorescence-Guided Surgery in Head and Neck Cancer Patients

Rationale: To assess the potential of US Food and Drug Administration cleared devices designed for indocyanine green-based perfusion imaging to identify cancer-specific bioconjugates with overlapping excitation and emission wavelengths. Background: Recent clinical trials have demonstrated potential for fluorescence-guided surgery, but the time and cost of the approval process may impede clinical translation. To expedite this translation, we explored the feasibility of repurposing existing optical imaging devices for fluorescence-guided surgery. Methods: Consenting patients (n = 15) scheduled for curative resection were enrolled in a clinical trial evaluating the safety and specificity of cetuximab-IRDye800 (NCT01987375). Open-field fluorescence imaging was performed pre-operatively and during the surgical resection. Fluorescence intensity was quantified using integrated instrument software, and the tumor-to-background ratio (TBR) characterized fluorescence contrast. Results: In the pre-operative clinic, the open-field device demonstrated potential to guide pre-operative mapping of tumor borders, optimize the day of surgery, and identify occult lesions. Intraoperatively, the device demonstrated robust potential to guide surgical resections, as all peak TBRs were greater than 2 (range 2.2-14.1). Post-resection wound bed fluorescence was significantly less than pre-resection tumor fluorescence (P < 0.001). The repurposed device also successfully identified positive margins. Conclusion: The open-field imaging device was successfully repurposed to distinguish cancer from normal tissue in the pre-operative clinic and throughout surgical resection. This study illuminates the potential for existing open-field optical imaging devices with overlapping excitation and emission spectra to be utilized for fluorescence-guided surgery.
Chemical-Vapor-Deposited Diamond Film

This chapter describes the nature of clean and contaminated diamond surfaces, Chemical-vapor-deposited (CVD) diamond film deposition technology, analytical techniques and the results of research on CVD diamond films, and the general properties of CVD diamond films. Further, it describes the friction and wear properties of CVD diamond films in the atmosphere, in a controlled nitrogen environment, and in an ultra-high-vacuum environment.
Contemporary views on inflammatory pain mechanisms: TRPing over innate and microglial pathways

Tissue injury, whether by trauma, surgical intervention, metabolic dysfunction, ischemia, or infection, evokes a complex cellular response (inflammation) that is associated with painful hyperalgesic states. Although in the acute stages it is necessary for protective reflexes and wound healing, inflammation may persist well beyond the need for tissue repair or survival. Prolonged inflammation may well represent the greatest challenge mammalian organisms face, as it can lead to chronic painful conditions, organ dysfunction, morbidity, and death. The complexity of the inflammatory response reflects not only the inciting event (infection, trauma, surgery, cancer, or autoimmune) but also the involvement of heterogeneous cell types including neuronal (primary afferents, sensory ganglion, and spinal cord), non-neuronal (endothelial, keratinocytes, epithelial, and fibroblasts), and immune cells. In this commentary, we will examine 1.) the expression and regulation of two members of the transient receptor potential family in primary afferent nociceptors and their activation/regulation by products of inflammation, 2.) the role of innate immune pathways that drive inflammation, and 3.) the central nervous system's response to injury with a focus on the activation of spinal microglia driving painful hyperalgesic states.
Re-imagining CS1/CS2 with Android using the Sofia framework

Introductory CS courses are using Android to excite students about their programming assignments, but using the standard Android libraries in CS2 presents numerous challenges and using it in CS1 is nearly impossible. This workshop introduces participants to Sofia, the Simplified Open Framework for Innovative Android Applications. Sofia abstracts out many advanced concepts normally required for interesting applications, using a unique approach to event handling, binding GUI elements to Java code, and user interaction. This allows students to focus entirely on using Java programming skills to solve problems, instead of writing monotonous glue code typically required to construct Android apps.
Integrated control of an IPM motor drive and hybrid energy storage system for electric vehicles

A DC bus voltage control for a motor drive is proposed in this paper using a hybrid energy storage system (HESS) composed of a battery and an ultra-capacitor for electric vehicle applications. The motor drive of an interior permanent magnet (IPM) motor is typically developed based on a fixed DC bus voltage. However, with the voltage controllability of HESS, it is possible to optimize the energy system by selecting the optimum DC bus voltage. Unlike the conventional designs, the proposed HESS processes only a portion of the vehicle power through interfacing a DC/DC converter. The new concept reduces the converter losses, enables the full usage of stored energy in the storage units and provides a boosting capability of the DC bus voltage. This capability allows the motor drive to operate with maximum torque per ampere control for longer time intervals. An EV with HESS and an IPM drive is simulated under different driving conditions to demonstrate the concept. Experimental results of a scaled down system are provided.
Bipolar mixed features - Results from the comparative effectiveness for bipolar disorder (Bipolar CHOICE) study.

Abstract Background DSM-5 changed the criteria from DSM-IV for mixed features in mood disorder episodes to include non-overlapping symptoms of depression and hypomania/mania. It is unknown if, by changing these criteria, the same group would qualify for mixed features. We assessed how those meeting DSM-5 criteria for mixed features compare to those meeting DSM-IV criteria. Methods We analyzed data from 482 adult bipolar patients in Bipolar CHOICE, a randomized comparative effectiveness trial. Bipolar diagnoses were confirmed through the MINI International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). Presence and severity of mood symptoms were collected with the Bipolar Inventory of Symptoms Scale (BISS) and linked to DSM-5 and DSM-IV mixed features criteria. Baseline demographics and clinical variables were compared between mood episode groups using ANOVA for continuous variables and chi-square tests for categorical variables. Results At baseline, the frequency of DSM-IV mixed episodes diagnoses obtained with the MINI was 17% and with the BISS was 20%. Using DSM-5 criteria, 9% of participants met criteria for hypomania/mania with mixed features and 12% met criteria for a depressive episode with mixed features. Symptom severity was also associated with increased mixed features with a high rate of mixed features in patients with mania/hypomania (63.8%) relative to those with depression (8.0%). Limitations Data on mixed features were collected at baseline only and thus do not reflect potential patterns in mixed features within this sample across the study duration. Conclusions The DSM-5 narrower, non-overlapping definition of mixed episodes resulted in fewer patients who met mixed criteria compared to DSM-IV.
Type-1 Fuzzy Systems

This chapter explores many aspects of the type-1 fuzzy system that was introduced in Chap. 1. It provides a very comprehensive and unified description of the two major kinds of type-1 fuzzy systems that are widely used in real-world applications—Mamdani and TSK fuzzy systems. The coverage of this chapter includes rules, singleton, and non-singleton fuzzifiers, input–output formulas for the fuzzy inference engine, type-1 first- and second-order rule partitions, the effects of the two kinds of fuzzifiers on the input–output formulas, combining or not combining fired-rule output sets on the way to defuzzification, defuzzifiers (centroid, height, and center-of-sets), fuzzy basis functions which provide a mathematical description of a fuzzy system from its input to its output, remarks and insights about a type-1 fuzzy system (including layered architecture interpretations for it, universal approximation by it, continuity of it, rule explosion and some ways to control it, and rule interpretability for it). Eighteen examples are used to illustrate the important concepts and there is also a comprehensive numerical example in Sect. 3.7 that is continued in later chapters. Chap. 9 builds upon the material that is in this chapter.
Estimation of Aircraft Operations at Airports Using Mode-C Signal Strength Information

An understanding of aircraft operations counts at airports is important due to the use of that information in the allocation of the Federal Airport Improvement Program funds. Operations at airports lacking full-time personnel are typically sampled over time. The sample sizes are generally small, due to the inherent difficulty and expense of deploying acoustic or pneumatic counting devices for extended periods of time, leading to inaccuracies in the estimation of long-term totals. A means of counting operations using Mode S extended squitter (ES) aircraft transponder data received with a 1090-MHz software-defined radio (SDR) system has been developed by the authors. A limitation of this approach, however, is the relatively small ratio of Mode S ES signals to Mode S short squit and Mode C signals, which do not contain aircraft position information. This article presents a method for estimating distance information from the latter two types of transponder signals, enabling them to be used by the SDR-based device, along with Mode S ES signals, in the operations counting process. The distance estimation method described here is based on an adaptive Kalman filter incorporating parameter optimization using known distance information from Mode S ES signals and results in an average error of 0.83 nm in measurements within a 5-nm radius of the receiver. This level of uncertainty enables the use of Mode S short squit and Mode C signals to count aircraft operations at airports without the additional overhead of multilateration.
Species Determination From Fragmentary Evidence

In forensic anthropology casework, species can be recognized through morphological evaluation if relatively complete evidence is present. However, with extreme fragmentation other techniques must be employed. Scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive spectroscopy can reveal if fragments represent bone and/or tooth versus other materials. Histological examination may elucidate structural patterns diagnostic of nonhuman status. Analysis using solid-phase double-antibody radioimmunoassay can not only differentiate human from nonhuman representation but also determine what nonhuman animal is present if necessary.
Do lumen-apposing metal stents (LAMS) improve treatment outcomes of walled-off pancreatic necrosis over plastic stents using dual-modality drainage?

Background and study aims Endoscopic ultrasound-guided drainage of symptomatic walled-off pancreatic necrosis (WON) usually has been performed with double pigtail plastic stents (DPS) and more recently, with lumen-apposing metal stents (LAMS). However, LAMS are significantly more expensive and there are no comparative studies with DPS. Accordingly, we compared our experience with combined endoscopic and percutaneous drainage (dual-modality drainage [DMD]) for symptomatic WON using LAMS versus DPS. Patients and methods Patients who underwent DMD of WON between July 2011 and June 2016 using LAMS were compared with a matched group treated with DPS. Technical success, clinical success, need for reintervention and adverse events (AE) were recorded. Results A total of 50 patients (31 males, 25 patients treated with LAMS and 25 patients treated with DPS) were matched for age, sex, computed tomography severity index, and disconnected pancreatic ducts. Technical success was achieved in all patients. Mean days hospitalized post-intervention (14.5 vs. 13.1, P = 0.72), time to resolution of WON (77 days vs. 63 days, P = 0.57) and mean follow-up (207 days vs. 258 days, P = 0.34) were comparable in both groups. AEs were similar in both groups (6 vs. 8, P = 0.53). Patients treated with LAMS had significantly more reinterventions per patient (1.5 vs. 0.72, P = 0.01). Conclusions In treatment of symptomatic WON using DMD, LAMS did not shorten time to percutaneous drain removal and was not associated with fewer AEs.
Sugar, drugs, and gut bugs

A high-fat diet in rodents causes changes in gut microbiota and glucose sensing that may be mitigated by treatment with metformin.
The Arabidopsis ELP3 / ELO3 and ELP4 / ELO1 genes enhance disease resistance in Fragaria vesca L.

Plant immune response is associated with a large-scale transcriptional reprogramming, which is regulated by numerous transcription regulators such as the Elongator complex. Elongator is a multitasking protein complex involved in diverse cellular processes, including histone modification, DNA methylation, and tRNA modification. In recent years, Elongator is emerging as a key regulator of plant immune responses. However, characterization of Elongator’s function in plant immunity has been conducted only in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. It is thus unclear whether Elongator’s role in plant immunity is conserved in higher plants. The objective of this study is to characterize transgenic woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca L.) overexpressing the Arabidopsis Elongator (AtELP) genes, AtELP3 and AtELP4, and to determine whether F. vesca carries a functional Elongator complex. Transgenic F. vesca and Arabidopsis plants were produced via Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation and characterized by morphology, PCR, real-time quantitative PCR, and disease resistance test. The Student’s t test was used to analyze the data. Overexpression of AtELP3 and AtELP4 in F. vesca impacts plant growth and development and confers enhanced resistance to anthracnose crown rot, powdery mildew, and angular leaf spot, which are caused by the hemibiotrophic fungal pathogen Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, the obligate biotrophic fungal pathogen Podosphaera aphanis, and the hemibiotrophic bacterial pathogen Xanthomonas fragariae, respectively. Moreover, the F. vesca genome encodes all six Elongator subunits by single-copy genes with the exception of FvELP4, which is encoded by two homologous genes, FvELP4–1 and FvELP4–2. We show that FvELP4–1 complemented the Arabidopsis Atelp4/elo1–1 mutant, indicating that FvELP4 is biologically functional. This is the first report on overexpression of Elongator genes in plants. Our results indicate that the function of Elongator in plant immunity is most likely conserved in F. vesca and suggest that Elongator genes may hold potential for helping mitigate disease severity and reduce the use of fungicides in strawberry industry.
Pectolytic Bacteria Associated with Post-Harvest Decays of Fruits and Vegetables with Special Reference to Fluorescent Pseudomonads

Bacterial soft rot is one of the most damaging problems of fruits and vegetables encountered at market places. Although erwinias are generally believed to be the principal causal agent, pectolytic bacteria of other genera especially fluorescent pseudomonads are often involved. This report intends (1) to summarize previous reports on pectolytic bacteria of various taxonomic groups and their possible association with decays of plants, (2) to show the diversity of bacterial flora that are associated with rotted plant specimens recently examined in our laboratory (Liao and Wells, unpublished), and (3) to discuss current practice and confusion on naming of fluorescent pseudomonads.
Technology and effect: HIV/AIDS testing in Brazil.

Contemporary techno scientific and medical developments are restructuring social interactions and the very processes by which individual subjectivity is formed. This essay elaborates on the experiential and ethical impact of such transformations from the perspective of people who, in ordinary and unexpected ways, act science and technology out. We carried out ethnographic research in an HIV/AIDS Testing and Counseling Center (CTA) in northeastern Brazil, combining participant observation with epidemiological analyses and clinical survey. We found a high demand for free testing by low-risk clients, largely working and middle class, experiencing anxiety and complaining of AIDS-like symptoms. Most of the clients were ser-onegative and many returned for a second and third testing. We understand this to be a new techno-cultural phenomenon and call it imaginary AIDS. Throughout this essay, we describe CTA's routine practices, place these practices in historical, political, economic and cross-cultural perspective, and analyze the subjective data we collected from the clients of our pilot study. We explore how clinical epidemiological expertise and HIV testing technology are integrated into new forms of bio-politics aimed at specific marketable and disease-free populations, and on the affective absorption of bio-technical truth and the engendering of a technoneurosis in this testing center.
Abstract WP230: Safety of Intravenous Thrombolysis in Telestroke and Impact of an Acute Stroke Training Curriculum

Background: Stroke telemedicine has the potential to improve access to intravenous thrombolysis nationwide among acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients. No formal training or credentialing process ha...
Adaptive Damping Factor Control Strategy of Inverter Interfaced Distributed Generators Based on Virtual Synchronous Generator Technology

With development of new energy, inverter interfaced distributed generator (IIDG) has become one of the main types of distributed generator. Its control strategy has great influence on the dynamic behavior of distribution network. Conventional control modes can not provide inertia and are prone to instability. Based on the technology of virtual synchronous generator (VSG), the active power and frequency (P-o)) control, voltage and reactive power (Q-v) control and the inner loop control of IIDG are optimized respectively. The stability model is established after the transfer function of the system is derived, and the effect of damping factor on the output of the IIDG is analyzed. Based on the mechanism of stability, an adaptive damping control strategy is proposed. The strategy takes the deviation of output power as feedback and it can adaptively regulate the damping factor of the IIDG system. Hence the system has the advantages of fast response speed and small dynamic fluctuation. The strategy is evaluated by simulations based onPSCAD/EMTDC, which indicate that the adaptive damping control strategy has remarkable better dynamic performance compared with the fixed damping factor.
Detection of vibrating objects in SAR images

The vibratory response of buildings and machines carries key information that can be exploited to infer their operating conditions and to diagnose failures. Moreover, since vibration signatures observed from the exterior surfaces of structures are intrinsically linked to the type of machinery operating inside of them, the ability to monitor vibrations remotely can facilitate the detection and identification of the machinery. Recently, synthetic aperture radar (SAR) has proven to be a versatile tool capable of performing vibrometry and high-precision vibration-estimation algorithms have been developed for reconstructing surface vibration waveforms from SAR images. However, these algorithms tend to be computationally demanding and, in addition, require knowledge of the exact location of the object a priori. This renders their use as unpractical for exploratory applications. This paper focuses on the detection of vibrating objects by exploiting the phase modulation that a vibration causes in the received slow-time SAR data. Two different vibration detection schemes are investigated. The first scheme is data-driven and utilizes features extracted with the help of the discrete fractional Fourier transform (DFrFT) to feed a random-forest detector. The second scheme is model-based, and uses a probabilistic model of the slow-time SAR signal, the Karhunen-Loeve expansion, and a likelihood-ratio detector. The proposed detection algorithms are tested using both simulated and real SAR data. Our results show that both detection schemes can be used to achieve high-performance vibrating-object detectors.
Multi-Analytical Study of Copper-Based Historic Pigments and their Alteration Products

Copper-containing materials such as verdigris are commonly found in historic and artistic works of art, often at advanced states of decay. Applied on paper as inks and watercolors, many of which ne...
4-ferrocenyl-1,3-pentadiene.

A convenient route is reported to a synthesis of 4-ferrocenyl-1,3-pentadiene which makes use of the well known Wittig (1954) reaction. The starting materials, acetylferrocene and allyltriphenylphosphonium bromide, are readily available, and the experimental conditions have been optimized so as to allow the synthesis to be carried out on a molar scale without the occurrence of extensive polymerization.
Introduction to Forensic Chemistry

Chemistry/Forensic Science Forensic chemistry is a subdiscipline of forensic science, its principles guide the analyses performed in modern forensic laboratories. Forensic chemistry’s roots lie in medico-legal investigation, toxicology and microscopy and have since led the development of modern forensic analytic techniques and practices for use in a variety of applications. Introduction to Forensic Chemistry is the perfect balance of testing methods and application. Unlike other competing books on the market, coverage is neither too simplistic, nor overly advanced making the book ideal for use in both undergraduate and graduate courses. The book introduces chemical tests, spectroscopy, advanced spectroscopy, and chromatography to students. The second half of the book addresses applications and methods to analyze and interpret controlled substances, trace evidence, questioned documents, firearms, explosives, environmental contaminants, toxins, and other topics. The book looks at innovations in the field over time including the latest development of new discernible chemical reactions, instrumental tools, methods, and more. Key features: Nearly 300 full-color figures illustrating key concepts and over 20 case studies Addresses all the essential topics without extraneous or overly advanced coverage Includes full pedagogy of chapter objectives, key terms, lab problems, end of chapter questions, and additional readings to emphasize key learning points Includes chemical structures and useful spectra as examples Fulfils the forensic chemistry course requirement in FEPAC-accredited programs Includes a chapter on Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive (CBRNE) materials Comprehensive and accessible, without being overly technical, Introduction to Forensic Chemistry will be a welcome addition to the field and an ideal text designed for both the student user and professor in mind. Course ancillaries including an Instructor’s Manual with Test Bank and chapter PowerPoint® lecture slides are available with qualified course adoption.
System aware ESD clamp design for 802.3bt PD PoE controller

Abstract In this paper we present the development of an electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection supply clamp for an 802.3bt PD PoE controller. Conflicting requirements between chip-level ESD protection and application-level surge requirements are discussed and an appropriate chip-level supply protection scheme is proposed. Chip-level ESD and latch-up (LU) results are reviewed and the role of the ESD supply clamp in a LU failure is discussed. A characterization method for extending the System-Efficient ESD design (SEED) approach to surge pulses is presented and applied to the IC and externals. Finally an application diagram for enhanced surge protection is proposed that enables the PD PoE controller to operate in harsh electrical environments.
Introduction: Modeling the Fate of Chemicals in Products in the Total Environment

Academic and public interest has been poured into “chemicals in products (CiPs)”, that is, the chemicals of environmental and health concern intentionally added in industrial or consumer goods for additional functions. This chapter gives a comprehensive overview of the fate of CiPs in the “total” environment, that is, a system comprising the anthroposphere (human socioeconomic activities) and the physical environment (the totality of abiotic setting in which organisms and humans live) as two interconnected and interdependent components. Currently, industrial ecologists have well elucidated the anthropospheric fate of products whereas environmental chemists have well elucidated the environmental fate of chemicals. Nevertheless, there is still a need for an integrative, temporally resolved, and mechanistically sound modeling framework for chemicals plus products as an organic whole in the CiP issue.
Uncertainty in Boundary Conditions—An Interval Finite Element Approach

In this work, we introduce an interval formulation that accounts for uncertainty in supporting conditions of structural systems. Uncertainty in structural systems has been the focus of a wide range of research. Different models of uncertain parameters have been used. Conventional treatment of uncertainty involves probability theory, in which uncertain parameters are modeled as random variables. Due to specific limitation of probabilistic approaches, such as the need of a prior knowledge on the distributions, lack of complete information, and in addition to their intensive computational cost, the rationale behind their results is under debate. Alternative approaches such as fuzzy sets, evidence theory, and intervals have been developed. In this work, it is assumed that only bounds on uncertain parameters are available and intervals are used to model uncertainty. Here, we present a new approach to treat uncertainty in supporting conditions. Within the context of Interval Finite Element Method (IFEM), all uncertain parameters are modeled as intervals. However, supporting conditions are considered in idealized types and described by deterministic values without accounting for any form of uncertainty. In the current developed approach, uncertainty in supporting conditions is modeled as bounded range of values, i.e., interval value that capture any possible variation in supporting condition within a given interval. Extreme interval bounds can be obtained by analyzing the considered system under the conditions of the presence and absence of the specific supporting condition. A set of numerical examples is presented to illustrate and verify the accuracy of the proposed approach.
Climate Response to Greenhouse Warming: The Role of the Ocean

The scientific community is now confronted with unambiguous evidence that the abundance of radiatively important gases in the atmosphere is changing. The scientific tools exist to calculate the effect of these gases on the Earth’s radiation balance. Is it then possible to draw firm conclusions with respect to projected climate change over the next half century? The answer is no, even if all processes internal to the atmosphere were completely understood. Climate change does not depend on the radiation balance of the atmosphere alone, but on the entire climate system, which includes the oceans, the biosphere polar ice masses and sea ice. Climate projections into the next century cannot be made with confidence until the role of the extra-atmospheric components of climate are better understood.
Blind Testing of Faunal Identification Protocols: A Case Study with North American Artiodactyl Stylohyoids

Taxonomic identification of archaeofauna relies on techniques and anatomical traits that should be valid, reliable, and usable, but which are rarely tested. Identification protocols (techniques and anatomical traits), particularly those used to distinguish taxa of similar size and morphology, should be rigorously tested to ensure a solid interpretive foundation. Blind testing of a protocol for identifying stylohyoid bones of North American artiodactyls was performed by three analysts who independently employed the protocol to identify 77 anatomically complete specimens of known taxonomic identity, representing 54 individuals and 11 species. Identifications were identical in 89% of cases and in conflict in 3% of cases. The remainder involved differences in resolution; two analysts identified specimens to species, whereas the third identified specimens to more general taxonomic groups. Inter-analyst variability in identification was a result of differences in protocol application. Identifications were consistent with known taxon in 92%–96% of cases. Results indicate that the protocol is valid, reliable, and usable, and it can be applied to archaeological specimens with confidence. Testing of other identification criteria employed by zooarchaeologists is encouraged.
Effect of niacin monotherapy on high density lipoprotein composition and function

Niacin has modest but overall favorable effects on plasma lipids by increasing high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and lowering triglycerides. Clinical trials, however, evaluating niacin therapy for prevention of cardiovascular outcomes have returned mixed results. Recent evidence suggests that the HDL proteome may be a better indicator of HDL’s cardioprotective function than HDL-C. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of niacin monotherapy on HDL protein composition and function. A 20-week investigational study was performed with 11 participants receiving extended-release niacin (target dose = 2 g/day) for 16-weeks followed by a 4-week washout period. HDL was isolated from participants at weeks: 0, 16, and 20. The HDL proteome was analyzed at each time point by mass spectrometry and relative protein quantification was performed by label-free precursor ion intensity measurement. In this cohort, niacin therapy had typical effects on routine clinical lipids (HDL-C + 16%, q < 0.01; LDL-C − 20%, q < 0.01; and triglyceride − 15%, q = 0.1). HDL proteomics revealed significant effects of niacin on 5 proteins: serum amyloid A (SAA), angiotensinogen (AGT), apolipoprotein A-II (APOA2), clusterin (CLUS), and apolipoprotein L1 (APOL1). SAA was the most prominently affected protein, increasing 3-fold in response to niacin (q = 0.008). Cholesterol efflux capacity was not significantly affected by niacin compared to baseline, however, stopping niacin resulted in a 9% increase in efflux (q < 0.05). Niacin did not impact HDL’s ability to influence endothelial function. Extended-release niacin therapy, in the absence of other lipid-modifying medications, can increase HDL-associated SAA, an acute phase protein associated with HDL dysfunction.
Talking Baseball When There Is No Baseball: Reporters and Fans During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The 2020 coronavirus outbreak led Major League Baseball to cancel spring training and postpone the start of the regular season Although baseball stopped, reporters continued to write about baseball, and fans continued to talk about baseball But with no games being played, what were they writing and talking about? More than a simple examination of what these two groups are saying, the authors also examined why their focus has turned to particular topics and themes Through a textual analysis of Entertainment and Sports Programming Network (ESPN) baseball headlines and Reddit posts, the authors found writers jolted out of their routines, yet still framing many of their 2020 stories to focus on the actions of players For fans, they uncovered conversations that, in many ways, read like friends mourning the loss of a loved one
WS 2 Monolayer Integrated Photodetector

Here, we demonstrate the fabrication of tungsten di-sulfide integrated photodetector on silicon nitride photonic platform. We observe high responsivity of ∼100mA/W at exciton wavelength (∼625 nm) due to strong photo-absorption.
Water-Induced Structural Transformations in Flexible Two-Dimensional Layered Conductive Metal–Organic Frameworks

The flexible and ever-changing layered structure of electrically conductive 2D metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) poses a formidable challenge for establishing any structure–application relationship. ...
On a polynomial congruence for Eulerian polynomials

We give a short proof, using generating functions, for a polynomial congruence for Eulerian polynomials first proved, using arrangements of hyperplanes, by Yoshinaga and later proved, using roots of unity, by Iijima, Sasaki, Takahashi, and Yoshinaga.