cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modeling the Glutathione Peroxidase‐Like Activity of a Cyclic Seleninate by DFT and Solvent‐Assisted Proton Exchange

The mechanism of redox scavenging of a highly active cyclic seleninate was modeled by using density functional theory and solvent-assisted proton exchange (SAPE), a method of microsolvation intended to mimic the role of the solvent in proton-transfer reactions. Models of the proposed mechanism suggest that a pathway to a selenenyl sulfide, a possible dead-end intermediate, is favored over regeneration of the seleninate catalyst. Alternate pathways through selenurane intermediates and a cyclic selenenate also appear to lead to the selenenyl sulfide. Based upon the DFT-SAPE results, we suggest that the high level of catalysis shown by the cyclic seleninate may be attributed to experimental reaction conditions, in which the excess oxidant ensures that the catalytic cycle bypasses the selenenyl sulfide. Catalysis under less oxidizing conditions are proposed to occur through oxidation of the selenenyl sulfide to the seleninyl sulfide.
The Gulf of Mexico's Dead Zone

Dan Ferber's News Focus “Dead zone fix not a dead issue” (10 Sept., p. [1557][1]) gives too much credence to assertions that reducing nitrogen pollution would not shrink the extent of hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico. The EPA report focuses solely on ratios of concentrations of dissolved inorganic
Therapeutic options in patients with lymphoma and severe liver dysfunction.

Objectives To determine the long-term outcome of patients presenting with synchronous lymphoma and severe liver dysfunction and to describe the outcome of patients treated with initial mechlorethamine-based therapy used as a bridge to more conventional chemotherapy. Patients and Methods We reviewed the clinical course of all patients diagnosed as having lymphoma who presented with severe liver dysfunction and received intravenous mechlorethamine between September 1988 and February 2003 at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Results Forty-one patients were identified, 33 (80%) of whom had newly diagnosed, previously untreated lymphoma. Thirty-seven (90%) had non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and 4 (10%) had Hodgkin disease. Thirty-four patients (83%) had stage IV disease, and 31 (84%) of 37 had an intermediate-high International Prognostic Index. The median total bilirubin level before therapy was 10.7 mg/dL (range, 2.5–30.2 mg/dL), and the median alkaline phosphatase level was 982 U/L (range, 233–3415 U/L). In addition to mechlorethamine, 34 patients (83%) received concomitant corticosteroids, and 12 (29%) received concomitant rituximab. Twenty-two patients (54%) had sufficient improvement in liver function to receive subsequent standard chemotherapy. Nine patients (22%) are alive and disease-free at a median of 31 months (range, 4 to ≥87 months) after mechlorethamine treatment. Factors associated with improved overall survival included improvement in bilirubin levels ( P P =.001). Conclusion Mechlorethamine, high-dose corticosteroids, and rituximab are useful therapeutic interventions for this unique group of patients with lymphoma and severe liver dysfunction. Substantial clinical improvement and long-term survival are possible.
Optimizing the Cost of Test at Intel Using per Device Data

The optimization of Intel Corporation's test process and test cost by the utilization of data from previous test steps and devices in order to make flow level and unit level testing decisions, including adaptive testing.. This optimization is external to traditional test flows and enables per device test content optimization at one test socket or between multiple sockets in a high volume manufacturing environment using online and offline data transfer systems, which manage the critical data between test sockets to be used for the adaptive testing algorithms themselves.
Chlorophyll aalgorithms for oligotrophic oceans: A novel approach based on three‐band reflectance difference

A new empirical algorithm is proposed to estimate surface chlorophyll-a concentrations (Chl) in the global ocean for Chl less than or equal to 0.25 milligrams per cubic meters (approximately 77% of the global ocean area). The algorithm is based on a color index (CI), defined as the difference between remote sensing reflectance (R(sub rs), sr(sup -1) in the green and a reference formed linearly between R(sub rs) in the blue and red. For low Chl waters, in situ data showed a tighter (and therefore better) relationship between CI and Chl than between traditional band-ratios and Chl, which was further validated using global data collected concurrently by ship-borne and SeaWiFS satellite instruments. Model simulations showed that for low Chl waters, compared with the band-ratio algorithm, the CI-based algorithm (CIA) was more tolerant to changes in chlorophyll-specific backscattering coefficient, and performed similarly for different relative contributions of non-phytoplankton absorption. Simulations using existing atmospheric correction approaches further demonstrated that the CIA was much less sensitive than band-ratio algorithms to various errors induced by instrument noise and imperfect atmospheric correction (including sun glint and whitecap corrections). Image and time-series analyses of SeaWiFS and MODIS/Aqua data also showed improved performance in terms of reduced image noise, more coherent spatial and temporal patterns, and consistency between the two sensors. The reduction in noise and other errors is particularly useful to improve the detection of various ocean features such as eddies. Preliminary tests over MERIS and CZCS data indicate that the new approach should be generally applicable to all existing and future ocean color instruments.
Effect of different wild-type isoalleles on crossing-over in Drosophila melanogaster.

EARLY experiments1 had shown that wild-type stocks of Drosophila melanogaster carry different wild-type alleles at the sex-linked, white-eye (w) locus. A more recent2 detailed genetic analysis demonstrated that the w+ loci of the Canton-S(C) and Oregon-R(O) wild-type stocks differ in the right-hand two of the four recombinationally separate w+ loci. Thus C, and O may be described by the notation CC, and OO, where each letter represents two of the four loci. Derived wild-types carrying the right and left halves of the two stocks, that is CO, and OC, have been successfully synthesized.1
Predictive control of an asymmetric cascaded multilevel inverter with a single DC source

This paper proposes a control scheme for an asymmetric cascaded multilevel inverter with a single DC source. This control approach permits a unique DC source generate three-phase current with one main cell and one floating cell per phase. Main cell are handled by using a space vector control and floating cells are controlled by a predictive control strategy. This strategy is used to control the floating capacitors voltages to maintain an asymmetry to maximize the number of levels of the load voltage and also manage the reactive power to reduce the harmonics produced by the main cell, which also provides the active power to the load. Finally, the proposed control algorithm improves the load current quality with a reduce number of calculation. Results are presented in simulations.
Chapman–Enskog solutions to arbitrary order in Sonine polynomials II: Viscosity in a binary, rigid-sphere, gas mixture

Abstract The Chapman–Enskog solutions of the Boltzmann equations provide a basis for the computation of important transport coefficients for both simple gases and gas mixtures. These coefficients include the viscosity, the thermal conductivity, and the diffusion coefficient. In a preceding paper (I), for simple, rigid-sphere gases (i.e. single-component, monatomic gases) we have shown that the use of higher-order Sonine polynomial expansions enables one to obtain results of arbitrary precision that are error free. It is our purpose in this paper to report the results of our investigation of relatively high-order, standard, Sonine polynomial expansions for the viscosity-related Chapman–Enskog solutions for binary gas mixtures of rigid-sphere molecules. We note that in this work we have retained the full dependence of the solution on the molecular masses, the molecular sizes, the mole fractions, and the intermolecular potential model via the omega integrals. For rigid-sphere gases, all of the relevant omega integrals needed for these solutions are analytically evaluated and, thus, results to any desired precision can be obtained. The values of viscosity obtained using Sonine polynomial expansions for the Chapman–Enskog solutions converge monotonically from below and, therefore, the exact viscosity solution to a given degree of convergence can be determined with certainty by expanding to sufficiently high an order. We have used Mathematica ® for its versatility in permitting both symbolic and high precision computations. Our results also establish confidence in the results reported recently by other authors who used direct numerical techniques to solve the relevant Chapman–Enskog equations. While in all of the direct numerical methods more-or-less full calculations need to be carried out with each variation in molecular parameters, our work utilizes explicit, general expressions for the necessary matrix elements that retain the complete parametric dependence of the problem and, thus, only a matrix inversion at the final step is needed as a parameter is varied. This work also indicates how similar results may be obtained for more realistic intermolecular potential models and how other gas-mixture problems may also be addressed with some additional effort.
Optimal frame design with discrete members using the complex method

A general purpose automated design procedure, based on a modified complex method of Box, for the optimal design of plane frames with variable geometry (joint locations) and discrete member size, selected from specified tables of member cross-sections, is presented. Members are sized on the basis of allowable stress design procedure, and the design satisfies all the relevant provisions of the AISC Specification. The computer program allows the linking of members as well as joints. The capabilities of the method are illustrated by three examples.
Radiation response of 1300-nm optoelectronic components in a natural space environment

We report energy-dependent proton and Co-60 test results and analysis assessing performance of In0.53Ga0.47As photodetectors and In0.71Ga0.29As0.61P0.39 laser diodes for satellite applications. Calculations of the nonionizing energy loss (NIEL) for protons in InGaAs allow damage assessment using a general technique for evaluating displacement damage in orbit. Device performance is predicted for several shield thicknesses and orbital conditions. We also discuss effects in optoelectronic devices due to total dose and ionization transients.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Effects of Temperature on the Flight Activity of Graphocephala atropunctata (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae)

Abstract Graphocephala atropunctata (Signoret) is the principal vector of Xylella fastidiosa (Wells, Raju, Hung, Weisberg, Mandelco-Paul and Brenner), the bacterium that causes Pierce’s disease of grapevine in coastal California. Monitoring the activity of G. atropunctata in the early spring is important for timing insecticide sprays and assessing the potential for disease spread to adjacent vineyards. Trapping studies with yellow sticky traps over 3 yr in Napa Valley, CA, established a significant correlation between early spring trap catch and temperature. Sticky trap catches of G. atropunctata occurred in the springs of 1996–1998 only when temperature was greater than or equal to 14.5°C. In 1997 and 1998, the degree-hours (>14.5°C) per day from sunrise to sunset during March and April, but not in May, correlated significantly with trap catches. The temperature threshold of 14.5°C in the early spring can be used to improve the timing of insecticidal applications aimed at reducing G. atropunctata populat...
Molecular Basis for Complement Recognition and Inhibition Determined by Crystallographic Studies of the Staphylococcal Complement Inhibitor (SCIN) Bound to C3c and C3b

The human complement system plays an essential role in innate and adaptive immunity by marking and eliminating microbial intruders. Activation of complement on foreign surfaces results in proteolytic cleavage of complement component 3 (C3) into the potent opsonin C3b, which triggers a variety of immune responses and participates in a self-amplification loop mediated by a multi-protein assembly known as the C3 convertase. The human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus has evolved a sophisticated and potent complement evasion strategy, which is predicated upon an arsenal of potent inhibitory proteins. One of these, the staphylococcal complement inhibitor (SCIN), acts at the level of the C3 convertase (C3bBb) and impairs downstream complement function by trapping the convertase in a stable but inactive state. Previously, we have shown that SCIN binds C3b directly and competitively inhibits binding of human factor H and, to a lesser degree, that of factor B to C3b. Here, we report the co-crystal structures of SCIN bound to C3b and C3c at 7.5 and 3.5 A limiting resolution, respectively, and show that SCIN binds a critical functional area on C3b. Most significantly, the SCIN binding site sterically occludes the binding sites of both factor H and factor B. Our results give insight into SCIN binding to activated derivatives of C3, explain how SCIN can recognize C3b in the absence of other complement components, and provide a structural basis for the competitive C3b-binding properties of SCIN. In the future, this may suggest templates for the design of novel complement inhibitors based upon the SCIN structure.
N- and C-Terminal Domains of β-Catenin, Respectively, Are Required to Initiate and Shape Axon Arbors of Retinal Ganglion Cells In Vivo

We used deletion mutants to study -catenin function in axon arborization of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) in live Xenopus laevis tadpoles. A deletion mutant catARM consists of the N- and C-terminal domains of wild-type -catenin that contain, respectively, -catenin and postsynaptic density-95 (PSD-95)/discs large (Dlg)/zona occludens-1 (ZO-1) (PDZ) binding sites but lacks the central armadillo repeat region that binds cadherins and other proteins. Expression ofARM in RGCs of live tadpoles perturbed axon arborization in two distinct ways: some RGC axons did not form arbors, whereas the remaining RGC axons formed arbors with abnormally long and tangled branches. Expression of the N- and C-terminal domains of-catenin separately in RGCs resulted in segregation of these two phenotypes. The axons of RGCs overexpressing the N-terminal domain of-catenin developed no or very few branches, whereas axons of RGCs overexpressing the C-terminal domain of-catenin formed arbors with long, tangled branches. Additional analysis revealed that the axons of RGCs that did not form arbors after overexpression of ARM or the N-terminal domain of -catenin were frequently mistargeted within the tectum. These results suggest that interactions of the N-terminal domain of-catenin with-catenin and of the C-terminal domain with PDZ domain-containing proteins are required, respectively, to initiate and shape axon arbors of RGCs in vivo.
The cost of perfection with apparent ease: Theoretical foundations and development of the Effortless Perfectionism Scale

Effortless perfection is a term used to describe an intense pressure to be perfect without visible effort (Yee, 2003), and is thought to be linked to several indicators of maladjustment among college-age youth (Ruane, 2012; Yee, 2003). Although effortless perfectionism (EP) is a phenomenon referenced in popular culture, empirical support for this construct is needed. In addition to conceptualizing and discussing the theoretical underpinnings of EP, this paper describes the development of an instrument to assess EP: the 10-item Effortless Perfectionism scale (EPS). The responses of a large sample of students from a Midwestern university (N = 1,270) were used to develop a 1-factor measurement model for the EPS. The EPS showed good internal consistency and test-retest reliability, and demonstrated convergent, discriminant, and incremental validity in relation to other perfectionism scales, as a predictor of psychosocial adjustment, and as a mediator of the effects of gender on adjustment. The present study supports the reliability and construct validity of the EPS as a self-report measure of EP, a distinct type of perfectionism that warrants future investigation.
Underground Atlanta: resurrected and revisited.

Underground Atlanta, in its original form, was created, then flourished, declined and closed, all within a 10 year span. But its closing left such agap in Atlanta's array of assets that city leaders felt compelled to resurrect the concept, albeit in a new and more ambitious manner. This article outlines the development of the new Underground Atlanta and explores a number of issues relevant to urban tourism.
National call to action: working toward the elimination of child maltreatment. the economics

No reliable estimates exist of the overall costs to society of child maltreatment that will withstand serious examination. Arguably some of the most important human costs of maltreatment are unquantifiable. Moreover, in many cases it is difficult if not impossible to separate the economics of child abuse and neglect from the economics of a host of other problems facing families. Still, even conservative estimates of government spending on behalf of abused and neglected children and their families illustrate that child maltreatment costs society a great deal, with much of that expense going for deep-end intervention rather than family support and prevention. Government expenditures directed at this social problem have grown rapidly since the rediscovery of child abuse in the 1960s and now exceed spending for a number of essential supports for children and families. Moreover, the new era of continuing commitment to child protection in the context of a revised social contract with the nation's poor raises serious questions about the economics of child maltreatment in the future. Language: en
A study of data loss and mispositioning due to pileup in 2-D detectors in PET

The effect of event pileup was investigated with a PET (positron emission tomography) system which employs a 2-D detector-array system. Event pileup caused losses of resolution of 9%, 19.8%, and 32% of the FWHM (full width at half maximum) for 10, 20, and 30 mCi of positron emitter in the field of view (FOV), respectively. 9.4%, 18.7%, and 28.1% of the data from the outer planes of the module were incorrectly placed in the inner planes for 5, 10, and 15 mCi of the positron emitter in the FOV, respectively. A simple model of the process was formulated and found to be adequate to describe the major features of event pileup for a number of source configurations and a wide range of activities. >
The rate of sexually transmitted infections in ED patients with vaginal bleeding.

Abstract Background Early diagnosis of sexually transmitted infections (STI) such as Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Neisseria gonorrhoea (NG) is crucial in reducing complications. Vaginal bleeding (VB) has been suggested as a possible presentation of STI. Objective To identify the rate of STI in sexually active women presenting to the emergency department (ED) with VB. Methods Prospective observational study of females 18-55 years-old presenting to two affiliated urban EDs with VB (convenience sample). Patients with recent STI or antibiotic use ( Results From 09.06 to 08.07 a total 273 subjects were enrolled (174 VB and 99 controls, mean age: 33 ± 10). Groups were similar with regards to baseline characteristics. The majority of STI cases were due to CT: 5.8% in VB group (95% CI, 3.2%-10.4%) vs. 7.1% in controls (95% CI, 3.5%-14.0%). The STI rate was 6.3% (95% CI, 3.5%-11.1%) in VB patients and 8% (95% CI, 3.9%-15.3%) in controls. Conclusions Our ED patients with and without vaginal bleeding had comparable rate of STI.
Power and Performance Characterization of Computational Kernels on the GPU

Nowadays Graphic Processing Units (GPU) are gaining increasing popularity in high performance computing (HPC). While modern GPUs can offer much more computational power than CPUs, they also consume much more power. Energy efficiency is one of the most important factors that will affect a broader adoption of GPUs in HPC. In this paper, we systematically characterize the power and energy efficiency of GPU computing. Specifically, using three different applications with various degrees of compute and memory intensiveness, we investigate the correlation between power consumption and different computational patterns under various voltage and frequency levels. Our study revealed that energy saving mechanisms on GPUs behave considerably different than CPUs. The characterization results also suggest possible ways to improve the 'greenness' of GPU computing.
Neuromedin S and U.

The physiological and endocrine homeostatic systems that regulate body weight are complex. Several peripheral systems need to be coordinated with central nervous system processes for proper energy balance regulation. Systems for energy storage (white adipose tissue), energy expenditure (skeletal muscle and brown adipose tissue), and energy absorption (gut) (1) inform the brain how much fuel is available short- and long-term. These systems coordinate with expected fuel demand, which is impacted by environment, temperature, season, reproduction and offspring care, food availability, and predation pressure. Whereas a handful of mainstream peptides receive ample of attention from investigators, other important signals are less recognized. A recent study by Peier et al. (2) highlights the importance of neuromedins U (NMU) and S (NMS) acting centrally on the NMU receptor 2 (NMUR2) in the regulation of body weight homeostasis.
Numerical solution of diffraction problems: a method of variation of boundaries

Previously ( Proc. R. Soc. Edinburgh122A, 317– 340, 1992) we established that solutions to problems of diffraction of light in a periodic structure behave analytically with respect to variations of the interface. We present an algorithm based on this observation for the numerical solution of the problem. The principal component of the algorithm is a simple recursive formula for the derivatives of the efficiencies with respect to the height of the grating. A conformal mapping mechanism is introduced to enhance the convergence of the series. This allows us to deal with the types of profile and wavelength usually considered in practice. To illustrate our method, we give numerical results for sinusoidal and echelette gratings.
Symplectic full-turn maps in a Fourier representation

A method that uses an arbitrary sympletic tracking code to generate an exactly symplectic full-turn or multi-turn map has been developed. The map is obtained from a generating function, which is a finite Fourier series in the final angle coordinates, the Fourier coefficients being represented as a B-spline series in the initial action coordinates. The authors achieve fast iteration of this implicitly defined map, and good accuracy. As a first application, a simplified model of arcs of the SSC (Superconducting Super Collider) is treated. >
Distribution and Rate of Migration of Curing Ingredients in Hot Boned Pork Tissue as Influenced by Electrical Stimulation

The effect of electrical stimulation of pork carcasses on the distribution and rate of migration of curing ingredients (nitrite, salt, glucose) in hot-boned pork tissue was investigated. Cylindrical samples were prepared from the hot-boned triceps brachii muscles which were removed within 30 min postmortem. Electrical stimulation improved (P < 0.01) absorption and migration of curing ingredients (nitrite, salt, glucose) at all depths of the sample.
Cultural Competence for Transracial Adoptive Parents

This article provides a clear conceptual definition of cultural competence for transracial-cultural adoptive (TRA) parents based on an extensive review of the literature and feedback from both experts and parents. Following the differentiation of cultural competence as defined in the social work literature and cultural competence as applied to TRA parents, a three-part definition of cultural competence for TRA parents is presented. The article expands on each of three constructs: racial awareness, multicultural planning, and survival skills. In addition, it describes the process of beginning to operationalize the constructs. Finally, implications for social work practice, education, and research are suggested.
Analysis of fractionation in corn-to-ethanol plants

As the dry grind ethanol industry has grown, the research and technology surrounding ethanol production and co-product value has also increased. One piece of technology to increase dry grind ethanol co-product value is of fractionation, both front end (before fermentation) and back end oil extraction (after fermentation) Front-end fractionation is prefermentation separation of the corn kernel into 3 fractions. The endosperm fraction is high in starch and is the only stream that enters the ethanol plant. The non-fermentable portion of the endosperm stream is carried into a product called high protein DDGS. The bran, or high fiber, stream is separated out and sold as an animal feed product, particularly to ruminant animals. High value oil is extracted out of the germ stream leaving a high protein co-product, corn germ meal. These 3 co-products have a very different composition than traditional DDGS from a corn ethanol plant. Furthermore, there are several possible fractionation processes; each produces a different set of co-products. Installing this technology allows ethanol plants to increase profitability by tapping into more diverse markets, and ultimately could allow for an increase in profitability. An ethanol plant model was developed to evaluate fractionation technology and predict the change in co-products based on the compositions of the endosperm, bran, and germ streams, of the DDGS alone in the case of back end oil extraction. The model runs in Microsoft Excel and requires inputs of whole corn composition (proximate analysis), amino acid content, and weight to predict the co-product quantity and quality. User inputs include saccharification and fermentation efficiencies, plant capacity, and plant process specifications including frontend fractionation and backend oil extraction, if applicable. This model provides plants a way
A Note on Contemporary Macroeconomic Policies: The Fed's Emerging Culture of Dovishness

Is the Federal Reserve too easy? This economist thinks a "dovish" stance has been institutionalized at the Fed. Challenge publishes many pieces to the contrary, but we believe it is important to present this view as well. Economist David Jones is a long-time Fed watcher.
International Semiotics: Item Difficulty and the Complexity of Science Item Illustrations in the PISA-2009 International Test Comparison.

We examined multimodality (the representation of information in multiple semiotic modes) in the context of international test comparisons. Using Program of International Student Assessment (PISA)-2009 data, we examined the correlation of the difficulty of science items and the complexity of their illustrations. We observed statistically significant mean correlation coefficient differences favoring higher-ranking over lower-ranking jurisdictions and non-Western over Western jurisdictions. We examined this correlation as a function of the variety of forms of representation of information used in illustrations. For the highest-ranking jurisdictions, the correlation tended to be positive and its magnitude tended to increase with the number of forms of representation. For the lowest-ranking jurisdictions, the correlation tended to be negative and its magnitude tended to increase with the number of forms of representation. Increased illustration complexity appears to be an affordance in making sense of science ...
Book Review: Automating the Professions?

Richard Susskind (and his son Daniel) offer a technocratic, neoliberal, and techno-utopian outlook on the future of the professions. Thanks to these ideological priors, a persistent mistake undermines their book: they conflate the professional role with the delivery of expertise. Thus they fail to seriously address two issues at the core of professional identity. First, there is some degree of self-governance among professionals. They primarily work with clients or patients, for example, and not for bosses or shareholders. Second, the main reason they enjoy this autonomy is because they must handle intractable conflicts of values that repeatedly require thoughtful discretion, negotiation, and personal attention and responsibility. In isolation, these factors damage the Susskinds’ case; together, they prove fatal to it.
Amphotericin B lipid complex for the treatment of recurrent blastomycosis of the brain in a patient previously treated with itraconazole.

This is the first reported case of cerebral blastomycosis successfully treated with amphotericin B lipid complex.
Impact of VOC removal by activated carbon on biodegradation rates of diesel, Syntroleum and biodiesel in contaminated sand

Abstract The degradation of conventional diesel (D), synthetic diesel (Syntroleum), and pure fish biodiesel (B100) by indigenous microbes was investigated in laboratory microcosms containing contaminated sand. The fate of volatiles and the influence of volatilization on degradation rates were examined by placing activated carbon (AC) in microcosm headspaces to sorb volatiles. Three AC regimes were compared: no activated carbon (NAC), regular weekly AC change (RAC), and frequent AC change (FAC), where the frequency of activated carbon exchange declined from daily to weekly. Generally, the alternative fuels were biodegraded faster than diesel fuel. Hydrocarbon mineralization percentages for the different fuel types over 28 days were between 23% (D) and 48% (B100) in the absence of activated carbon, decreased to 12% (D) – 37% (B100) with weekly AC exchange, and were further reduced to 9–22% for more frequent AC change. Sorption of volatiles to AC lowered their availability as a substrate for microbes, reducing respiration. Volatilization was negligible for the biodiesel. A mass balance for the carbon initially present as hydrocarbons in microcosms with activated carbon in the head space was on average 92% closed, with 45–70% remaining in the soil after 4 weeks, 9–37% mineralized and up to 12% volatilized. Based on nutrient consumption, up to 29% of the contaminants were likely converted into biomass.
Reverse selective glassy polymers for C3+ hydrocarbon recovery from natural gas

Abstract The separation properties of two novel triethoxy bearing polynorbornenes (PNBs)—both a ROMP and addition type—are compared to unmodified polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) using multicomponent hydrocarbon mixtures up to 800 psi. Partial pressures of C 2 H 6 , C 3 H 8 , C 4 H 10 and CO 2 as high as 120, 80, 32 and 80, respectively, were used in order to expose the membranes to simulated natural gas mixtures. All three materials displayed strong increasing permeability coefficients with pressure, which is indicative of swelling and plasticization. Despite this behavior, the PNBs showed stable selectivity for C 3 H 8 /CH 4 and C 4 H 10 /CH 4 up to 500 psi. ROMP PNB's selectivity for both aforementioned gas pairs was effectively constant at 3 and 4 for C 3 H 8 /CH 4 and C 4 H 10 /CH 4 , respectively, over the entire feed pressure range (200–800 psi). Selectivity in Addition PNB fell by ~27% between 500–800 psi. In the 5-component mixture at 800 psi, Addition PNB displayed C 3 H 8 /CH 4 and C 4 H 10 /CH 4 selectivity of 4 and 6, respectively, which was the highest out of the three materials. PDMS selectivity declined significantly with feed pressure. The largest reduction was observed in the 5-component compared to the 3-component feed, which is consistent with penetrant-induced plasticization. These results demonstrate the strong dependence of selectivity on feed pressure for PDMS. Selectivity in the PNBs, despite apparent plasticization, showed much lower dependence on feed pressure, suggesting plasticization may not be as detrimental to these reverse selectivity glassy polymers compared to traditional diffusion selective glasses.
Post-production adaptation of RF circuits for application-specific performance metrics

Wireless Revolution V.2 in the form of Internet of Things (IoT) necessitates development of RF on rapidly evolving manufacturing processes using a small team of engineers. These processing nodes are tuned for digital performance and typically present with higher process variations. Manufactured RF devices either need to include larger margins to guarantee performance or be tuned post-manufacture to recover the performance. In this paper, we present a set of design principles for RF devices that can be adapted post-production for specific needs of the target application. Post-production tuning lifts the design burden from engineering efforts to measurement and calibration at the production test time.
Comparison of Three International Methods with APHA Method for Enumeration of Escherichia coli in Estuarine Waters and Shellfish

Three international methods were evaluated for enumerating Escherichia coli in estuarine waters, oysters ( Crassostrea virginica ), mussels ( Mytilus edilus ) and clams ( Mercenaria mercenaria ). Results of the French most probable number (MPN) method, a modification of the MacKenzie, Taylor and Gilbert (1948) method, were obtained within 48 h and compared favorably with those obtained by the standard American Public Health Association (APHA) MPN procedure in all sample types. Results of the Australian Anderson and Baird-Parker plate count method, obtained within 24 h, were significantly lower than those obtained with the standard APHA procedure for all sample types. Results of the British roll tube method, a 24-h direct count method, compared favorably with the standard APHA procedure only for mussels and waters.
Predictors of Certain Death

There is likely no clinical scenario with more demanding decision making for the vascular surgeon than a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (RAAA). Any hope of survival depends upon immediate evaluation, counseling of the patient and family, and repair. However, the early mortality after RAAA remains high at 30–50 % in many contemporary reports, and a subset of patients have been found to have an exceedingly small probability of surviving repair. In order to aid the vascular surgeon in counseling patients and avoiding futile repair, multiple analyses have been conducted to identify factors predictive of in-hospital or 30-day mortality, including factors predictive of “certain death.” This chapter will review existing models for predicting early mortality after RAAA repair and attempt to distill from the existing literature those preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative factors which have been consistently identified as the harbingers of an extremely high or “certain” mortality. This chapter will also briefly review the role of endovascular repair for RAAA and its impact on survival after RAAA repair.
Estimating Returns to College Attainment: Comparing Survey and State Administrative Data-Based Estimates.

Background:The increasing availability of massive administrative data sets linking postsecondary enrollees with postcollege earnings records has stimulated a wealth of new research on the returns t...
Modeling Bioenergy, Land Use, and GHG Mitigation with FASOMGHG: Implications of Storage Costs and Carbon Policy

Biofuels production has increased rapidly in recent years due to heightened concerns regarding climate change and energy security. Biofuels produced from agricultural feedstocks increase pressure on land resources. Competition for land is expected to continue growing in the future as mandated biofuels volumes increase along with rising demand for food, feed, and fiber, both domestically and internationally. In response to concerns regarding impacts such as indirect land use change and higher food prices, U.S. policy is focusing on second-generation (cellulosic) feedstocks to contribute the majority of the mandated increase in biofuels volume through 2022. However, there has been little work exploring supply logistics, feedstock mix, and net GHG effects of combining renewable fuels mandates with climate policy. Using the recently updated Forest and Agricultural Sector Optimization Model with Greenhouse Gases (FASOMGHG), we explore implications of alternative assumptions regarding feedstock storage costs and carbon price for renewable energy production mix, land use, and net GHG emissions. The model is used to quantify the magnitude and regional distribution of changes in the optimal mix of bioenergy feedstocks when accounting for storage costs. Further, combining a volume mandate with carbon price policy impacts feedstock mix and provides substantially larger net reduction in GHG.
Vulnerability Assessment for Security in Aviation Cyber-Physical Systems

In this paper, we present a vulnerability assessment framework that could be used to assess and prevent cyber threats related to wired and wireless networks and computer systems. We have performed vulnerability assessment tests for aviation systems including data loaders and in order to meet aviation industry requirements for wireless network security. Our contributions include detecting cyber vulnerabilities in these aviation systems by using vulnerability assessment and penetration testing tools such as Metasploit Pro and BackTrack and improving security and safety of aircraft. Based on our test results of cyber vulnerabilities, the corresponding solutions will be developed to fix these vulnerabilities. New vulnerability assessment tests will be conducted again until our solutions are secure and safe to use. Some results of our vulnerability assessment tests against our software-hardware products are presented
Generation and Maintenance of Atmospheric Turbulence

In this chapter, we study mechanisms by which turbulent eddies develop and dissipate kinetic energy. The kinetic energy contained in turbulent eddies is a measure of the vigor of atmospheric turbulence. Owing to the action of the viscous force, kinetic energy is constantly and irreversibly transferred into internal energy of the atmosphere. New kinetic energy must be supplied, or else turbulent motion would be replaced by laminar flow, and the atmospheric boundary layer would lose much of its diffusion power. Our approach is based on two principles introduced in Chaps. 2 and 3: Reynolds decomposition and momentum conservation. We will use them to derive budget equations governing the mean flow kinetic energy and the turbulent kinetic energy. Energy transfer mechanisms are then examined in the context of these equations.
Design Considerations for Memristive Crossbar Physical Unclonable Functions

Hardware security has emerged as a field concerned with issues such as integrated circuit (IC) counterfeiting, cloning, piracy, and reverse engineering. Physical unclonable functions (PUF) are hardware security primitives useful for mitigating such issues by providing hardware-specific fingerprints based on intrinsic process variations within individual IC implementations. As technology scaling progresses further into the nanometer region, emerging nanoelectronic technologies, such as memristors or RRAMs (resistive random-access memory), have become interesting options for emerging computing systems. In this article, using a comprehensive temperature dependent model of an HfOx (hafnium-oxide) memristor, based on experimental measurements, we explore the best region of operation for a memristive crossbar PUF (XbarPUF). The design considered also employs XORing and a column shuffling technique to improve reliability and resilience to machine learning attacks. We present a detailed analysis for the noise margin and discuss the scalability of the XbarPUF structure. Finally, we present results for estimates of area, power, and delay alongside security performance metrics to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the XbarPUF. Our XbarPUF exhibits nearly ideal (near 50%) uniqueness, bit-aliasing and uniformity, good reliability of 90% and up (with 100% being ideal), a very small footprint, and low average power consumption a104μW.
Idiopathic Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Evolving Therapeutic Strategies.

The field of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) has seen substantial changes in the epidemiology, associated comorbidities, treatment algorithms, and prognosis in the past decade. Specifically for idiopathic PAH (IPAH), there has been a noted increase in the age of initial diagnosis. Increasing focus is being placed on appropriate categorization of patients with PAH, both in terms of diagnosis and individualized risk stratification. This is especially relevant given that patients being diagnosed with incident IPAH are now older and with multiple comorbidities, putting them at a higher risk of being mislabeled as PAH. The biggest impact has been seen in the number of pharmaceutical options available for these patients, resulting in improvement in both short- and long-term outcomes. In addition, there has been a shift in the treatment approach to the early use of combination therapies in PAH, since it has been demonstrated to improve clinical outcomes. Novel therapies are in the pipeline for patients with IPAH to impact both the morbidity and mortality of this deadly disease.
Successful Identification of Cardiac Troponin Calcium Sensitizers Using a Combination of Virtual Screening and ROC Analysis of Known Troponin C Binders

Calcium-dependent cardiac muscle contraction is regulated by the protein complex troponin. Calcium binds to the N-terminal domain of troponin C (cNTnC) which initiates the process of contraction. Heart failure is a consequence of a disruption of this process. With the prevalence of this condition, a strong need exists to find novel compounds to increase the calcium sensitivity of cNTnC. Desirable are small chemical molecules that bind to the interface between cTnC and the cTnI switch peptide and exhibit calcium sensitizing properties by possibly stabilizing cTnC in an open conformation. To identify novel drug candidates, we employed a structure-based drug discovery protocol that incorporated the use of a relaxed complex scheme (RCS). In preparation for the virtual screening, cNTnC conformations were identified based on their ability to correctly predict known cNTnC binders using a receiver operating characteristics analysis. Following a virtual screen of the National Cancer Institute’s Developmental Thera...
The Understanding of Reality

Before the presentation of Temple’s suggested synthesis to the epistemological problem, it may be well to review briefly the problem as he has developed it. Descartes’ emphasis on the self isolated from everything else and, thus, necessarily dependent on its own ideas for knowledge of the world has been shown to be fallacious. But it is not desirable nor possible to return to the naive realism prevalent in the medieval period which claimed that the mind is directly aware of real objects in experience and gains direct knowledge of the world. The latter represents the thesis in the triadic attempt to solve the problems of epistemology revealed in the history of thought, of which Descartes’ proposal is the antithesis.
Tit-For-Tat Strategy for Increasing Medical Student Evaluation Response Rates

Author(s): Malone, Matthew G.; Carney, Michelle M.; House, Joseph B.; Cranford, James A.; Santen, Sally A. | Abstract: Introducation: It is essential for faculty to receive feedback on their teaching for the purpose of improvement as well as promotion. It can be challenging to motivate students to provide feedback to preceptors and fill out evaluation forms when not a clerkship requirement. Furthermore, there is concern that making the evaluations a requirement can compromise the quality of the feedback. The objective of this study was to identify an increase in the number of faculty and resident evaluations completed by students rotating through their Emergency Medicine clerkship following the implementation of a tit-for-tat incentive strategy.Method: Prior to the implementation of Tit-for-Tat, students rotating through their emergency medicine clerkship were asked to fill out evaluations of residents and faculty members with whom they worked. These were encouraged but voluntary. Beginning in the 2014-2015 academic year, a tit-for-tat strategy was employed whereby students had to complete a resident or faculty evaluation in order to view the student assessment completed by that resident or faculty preceptor.Results: Students submitted 1101 evaluations in the control, with a mean of 3.60 evaluations completed per student and 3.77 evaluations received per preceptor. Following the implementation of tit-for-tat, students submitted 2736 evaluations, with a mean of 8.19 evaluations completed per student and 7.52 evaluations received per preceptor. Both the increase in evaluations completed per student and evaluations received per preceptor were statistically significant with p-value l0.001.Conclusion: The tit-for-tat strategy significantly increased the number of evaluations submitted by students rotating through their emergency medicine clerkship. This has served as an effective tool to increase the overall number of evaluations completed, the number of evaluations each instructor received on average and the proportion of students that completed evaluations. Further work could be done to attempt to better assess the quality of the feedback from these evaluations. [West J Emerg Med. 2017; XX(X)–0.]
Management of glioblastoma at safety-net hospitals

Safety-net hospitals (SNHs) provide disproportionate care for underserved patients. Prior studies have identified poor outcomes, increased costs, and reduced access to certain complex, elective surgeries at SNHs. However, it is unknown whether similar patterns exist for the management of glioblastoma (GBM). We sought to determine if patients treated at HBHs receive equitable care for GBM, and if safety-net burden status impacts post-treatment survival. The National Cancer Database was queried for GBM patients diagnosed between 2010 and 2015. Safety-net burden was defined as the proportion of Medicaid and uninsured patients treated at each hospital, and stratified as low (LBH), medium (MBH), and high-burden (HBH) hospitals. The impact of safety-net burden on the receipt of any treatment, trimodality therapy, gross total resection (GTR), radiation, or chemotherapy was investigated. Secondary outcomes included post-treatment 30-day mortality, 90-day mortality, and overall survival. Univariate and multivariate analyses were utilized. Overall, 40,082 GBM patients at 1202 hospitals (352 LBHs, 553 MBHs, and 297 HBHs) were identified. Patients treated at HBHs were significantly less likely to receive trimodality therapy (OR = 0.75, p < 0.001), GTR (OR = 0.84, p < 0.001), radiation (OR = 0.73, p < 0.001), and chemotherapy (OR = 0.78, p < 0.001) than those treated at LBHs. Patients treated at HBHs had significantly increased 30-day (OR = 1.25, p = 0.031) and 90-day mortality (OR = 1.24, p = 0.001), and reduced overall survival (HR = 1.05, p = 0.039). GBM patients treated at SNHs are less likely to receive standard-of-care therapies and have increased short- and long-term mortality. Additional research is needed to evaluate barriers to providing equitable care for GBM patients at SNHs.