cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Deployment of Automated Driving as an Example for the San Francisco Bay Area

There is a lot of discussion about the different levels of vehicle automation and when respective products will come to the market. When taking a closer look, one actually observes that different experts often talk about different scenarios even when contemplating the same level of automation. In order to generate a more comprehensive perspective on the different levels of automation and their timelines for market deployment, this contribution analyses expert interviews and extensive media research. The picture that emerges from this spans a deployment roadmap from automated shuttle services launching still this decade to automated highway driving and delivery services some 20 years into the future. Hypothetical scenarios for the San Francisco Bay Area are provided as potential examples.
Ionic and Molecular Transport Through Graphene Membranes

New membrane materials have the potential to address some of the persistent challenges in water purification to improve the flux of water, selectivity to ions or contaminants, and fouling resistance. With its atomistic thickness and the ability to sustain nanometer-scale holes, graphene promises significant enhancement in the flux of water while offering potentially novel transport properties. In this work, the transport of ions and molecules through a single layer of graphene were measured as a first step towards realizing practical graphene membranes. Graphene grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) was transferred to a porous polycarbonate support membrane, and the diffusion of different salts and molecules was examined. While pressure-driven flow measurements revealed that the graphene covered the polycarbonate support membrane, diffusion experiments showed that it was permeable to salts, but not to larger molecules. This behavior was attributed to intrinsic defects in graphene in the 1–15 nm size range.
Stochastic Programming Extensions

This chapter describes PySP, a stochastic programming extension to Pyomo. PySP enables the expression of stochastic programming problems as extensions of deterministic models, which are often formulated first. To formulate a stochastic program in PySP, the user specifies both the deterministic base model and the scenario tree with associated uncertain parameters in Pyomo. Given these two models, PySP provides two paths for solving the corresponding stochastic program. The first alternative involves writing the extensive form and invoking a standard deterministic (mixed-integer) solver. For more complex stochastic programs, PySP includes an implementation of Rockefeller and Wets’ Progressive Hedging algorithm, which provides an effective heuristic for approximating general multi-stage, mixed-integer stochastic programs. By leveraging the combination of a high-level programming language (Python) and the embedding of the base deterministic model in that language (Pyomo), PySP provides completely generic and highly configurable solver implementations.
LidSuperior X Lid: A Case On Launching A New Patented Cup Lid In The United States

This case reviews the background of a new entrepreneurial firm, LidSuperior*on the launching of a new patented hot beverage cup lid in the United States for disposable hot beverage cups. The United States hot beverage cup lid industry is highly concentrated with a few major competitors who have dominated the market in sales volume over several years. One brand in particular, the Dart “Solo Traveler” lid has been the market share leader for several years. LidSuperior designed, after multiple preliminary design attempts, an innovative X lid that enhances aroma of hot beverages, reduces the possibility of spills, and increases safety in drinking and transporting a hot beverage cup. LidSuperior’s lid design also allows room on the side of the lid for advertising or shared lid-costs with co-marketing partners. The firm secured a patent on the design and functionality of the lid as claimed benefits were validated with independent marketing research sensory tests. LidSuperior is working on developing a marketing plan to introduce the hot beverage lid within the United States to be later followed by a cold beverage lid design and launch.
The Devil Is in the Details: Implications of Samuel Bowles's The Moral Economy for Economics and Policy Research

All economists should buy and read The Moral Economy by Samuel Bowles. The book challenges basic premises of economic theory and questions policies based on monetary incentives. Incentives not only crowd out intrinsic motivations, they erode the ethical and moral codes necessary for the workings of markets. Bowles boldly suggests that successful policies must combine incentives and moral messages, exploiting complementarities between the two. This essay argues that to achieve this objective, economists must study the local institutions and social context and engage untraditional data to uncover the interplay of incentives and identity.
The Death of Data in Neoliberal Times

We need new ways of making the everyday world visible through disruptive empirical methodologies that privilege social justice and utopian acts of critical imagination.
An organic super-electron-donor as a high energy density negative electrolyte for nonaqueous flow batteries

A highly reducing diquat-type molecule was explored as a negative electrolyte for nonaqueous redox flow batteries. The molecule displays a highly negative 2+/0 reduction potential of −1.67 V (vs. ferrocene), a low mass per electron transferred, and good solubility in CH3CN in both redox states. Moderate capacity retention is observed during electrochemical charge–discharge cycling. A pathway for decomposition during electrochemical cycling is elucidated, and this provides a clear path forward for enhancing stability.
Varenicline and Nicotine Replacement Use Associated With US Food and Drug Administration Drug Safety Communications

Importance Drug safety communications released by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are often based on limited evidence on safety signals after approval. Varenicline may serve as a relevant case study because it was the target of several FDA communications in 2008 and 2009; ultimately, the Evaluating Adverse Events in a Global Smoking Cessation Study (EAGLES) dismissed safety concerns on increased suicidal thoughts and aggressive and erratic behavior on December 16, 2016. Objective To examine the association between FDA drug safety communications and the use of varenicline. Design, Setting, and Participants Retrospective, longitudinal, cross-sectional study of Veterans Health Administration (VHA) outpatient data from October 1, 2001, through December 31, 2018, and Medicaid drug state use data from July 1, 2006, through September 30, 2018, on varenicline prescribing. Main Outcomes and Measures Prescribing records for varenicline and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) in the VHA were extracted, and the number of unique varenicline and NRT users in the VHA per quarter was measured. An interrupted time series analysis was performed to describe the association between FDA safety warnings and the use of varenicline and NRT. To test the generalizability of the findings, similar analyses were conducted using the number of prescriptions reimbursed for varenicline by Medicaid every quarter in 2006-2018. Results After its addition to the VHA national drug formulary in January 2007, varenicline use presented a steady increase, reaching a peak of 32 581 quarterly unique users in the first quarter of 2008. Within 12 months of the February 1, 2008, public health advisory, quarterly varenicline use in VHA patients decreased by 68.7% (from 32 581 to 10 182 patients;P Conclusions and Relevance With use of varenicline as a case study, early communications from the FDA and VHA followed by a labeling change appeared to be associated with a considerable decrease in drug use, which may have been associated with negative public health consequences.
Candida albicans reprioritizes metal handling during fluconazole stress

Maintenance of metal homeostasis is critical to cell survival due to the multitude of cellular processes that depend on one or more metal cofactors. Here, we show that the opportunistic fungal pathogen Candida albicans extensively remodels its metal homeostasis networks to respond to treatment with the antifungal drug fluconazole. Disruption of the ergosterol biosynthetic pathway by fluconazole requires C. albicans adaptation, including increased Cu import and storage, increased retention of Fe, Mn, and Zn, altered utilization of Cu- and Mn-dependent enzymes, mobilization of Fe stores, and increased production of the heme prosthetic group utilized by the enzyme target of fluconazole. The findings offer a new perspective for thinking about fungal response to drug stress that pushes cells out of their metal homeostatic zones, leading them to enact metal-associated adaptation mechanisms to restore homeostasis to survive.
IT’S NOT OK TO FALL: CHALLENGES AND SUCCESSES OF A NURSING HOME FALL PREVENTION PROJECT

This study pilot-tested a 12-week, comprehensive, resident-centered fall prevention program aimed to lower falls in nursing home residents in Oklahoma. Staff from 52 nursing homes received a training on evidence-based fall prevention strategies and fall-risk assessment. Content was present using motivational scenarios that encouraged situational problems solving. Rate of falls, including falls with major injury) were collected for 3 months before (roll-in), during (treatment), and following (sustainability). Nursing homes completing the project (n=29) showed significant decline in falls, including falls with major injury. Staff acceptance and project implementation varied across nursing homes and was related to organizational policies that did not adapt care based on residents needs on any given day. Adaptability, not just knowledge, is important for ensuring the safety of residents. Future work will focus on the role of leadership in promoting more open systems for delivering care.
Thickness-dependent wrinkling of PDMS films for programmable mechanochromic responses

We report a remarkable thickness-dependent wrinkling behavior of oxygen plasma-treated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) films, in which an energy barrier separates the wrinkling mechanics into two regimes. For thick films, the film wrinkles with a constant periodicity which can be precisely predicted by the classic nonlinear finite mechanics. Reducing the film thickness below 1 mm leads to nonuniform wrinkles with an increasing periodicity which gives rise to random scattering and transparency changes under mechanical strains. By tuning the film thickness, we were able to control both the quality and size of the periodic wrinkles and further design mechanochromic devices featuring brilliant structural colors and programmable colorimetric responses. This work sheds light on the fundamental understanding of the wrinkling mechanics of bilayer systems and their intriguing mechanochromic applications.
The no-nonsense guide to leadership, management and teamwork and Leading and managing archives and manuscripts programs

It seems to be management season for library and archives publishing. Perhaps not before time, we have two books considering the specifics of managing these independent units with complex stakehold...
Borders, Others, Selves: Concepts of a Discourse

Border as concept can be used particularly well to illustrate core processes of the social, of society in a broad sense. As summarised in the Introduction to this book and extensively discussed in Theorizing Society, we are already aware, since the work of Georg Simmel, that sociation requires a combination of difference and accordance, and, more precisely, antagonism in the sense of socially relevant, quasi activated difference. On the issue of border, different and similar matters converge and diverge, and the aspect of separation cannot be disconnected from the one of linkage, therefore it manifests a material and/or symbolic incentive for discussing alongside these conceptual–theoretical lines.
The Value of International Business Education: How to Achieve Transformative Learning for Students

The slowdown of the global economy exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic provides us an important opportunity to reflect upon the current status and future prospect of international business education. In order to reaffirm the value of international business as a distinct discipline, this article asks the three key questions: Why do we teach international business? What do we teach? How do we teach? International business educators are responsible for preparing students to become future global leaders and citizens through transformative pedagogy that combines the acquisition of knowledge and skills across multidisciplinary disciplines, with meaningful and practical experiences within the subjects they are learning.
Acute normobaric hypoxia does not increase blood or plasma viscosity.

BACKGROUND It has previously been reported that chronic hypoxia increases blood viscosity. The increase is usually attributed to polycythemia-induced increases in hematocrit. However, the effect of acute hypoxia in humans on blood viscosity is unknown. OBJECTIVE Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the effect of acute hypoxia, independent of changes in hematocrit, on blood and plasma viscosity. METHODS Nine healthy volunteers breathed room air for 30 min, followed by 30 min of breathing 15% oxygen. Blood samples were collected at the end of both the normoxic and hypoxic conditions. Blood viscosity, plasma viscosity, and hematocrit were measured in each sample. RESULTS The mean±SD hemoglobin oxygen saturation significantly (P < 0.05) decreased from 98±1% during normoxia to 87±2% during hypoxia. Hematocrit was essentially identical for the two conditions (42.1% vs. 42.0%). Blood viscosity was not significantly different for the two conditions with a mean of 2.89±0.17 cP during normoxia and 2.83±0.19 cP during hypoxia. Likewise, plasma viscosity was not significantly different for the two conditions with a mean of 1.19±0.04 cP during normoxia and 1.19±0.05 cP during hypoxia. CONCLUSION Such results suggest that acute normobaric hypoxia, independent of changes in hematocrit, does not increase blood or plasma viscosity.
Study on Application of an Optimization Model for Assessing the Performance of Water Appropriation in Iraq

The magnitude of water resources shortages in the Middle East represents an important factor in the stability of the region and it is a vital element in protecting sustained economic development in the region. This investigation addresses the ongoing challenge of water governance in Iraq by examining how profitability, at both the farm and basin levels, is affected by various water appropriation systems. Farmland irrigation in Iraq was evaluated using three water appropriation systems; upstream (UPR), downstream (DPR) and proportional (PSR) sharing rule. Their impacts on farm income under normal, dry, and drought water supply scenarios were evaluated using an irrigation water model coupled with a nonlinear programming (NLP) optimization model. As compared to UPR, PSR provided a 32% and 75% increase in total farm income for the Tigris River under dry and drought supply conditions, respectively. As compared to DPR, PSR provided a 47% and 83.5% increase in total farm income for the Euphrates River under dry and drought supply conditions, respectively. The results from this study are intended to provide guidance for decision makers in Iraq for potential future conditions where water supplies are reduced and demonstrate how it is feasible to adopt the PSR as an alternative and efficient water allocation rule due to its flexibility of providing fair water resource allocation in drought seasons.
Patterned Dried Blood Spot Cards for Improved Sampling of Whole Blood

Dried blood spot (DBS) cards perform many functions for sampling blood that is intended for subsequent laboratory analysis, which include: (i) obviating the need for a phlebotomist by using fingersticks, (ii) enhancing the stability of analytes at ambient or elevated environmental conditions, and (iii) simplifying transportation of samples without a cold chain. However, a significant drawback of standard DBS cards is the potential for sampling bias due to unrestricted filling caused by the hematocrit of blood, which often limits quantitative or reproducible measurements. Alternative microsampling technologies have minimized or eliminated this bias by restricting blood distribution, but these approaches deviate from clinical protocols and present a barrier to broad adoption. Herein, we describe a patterned dried blood spot (pDBS) card that uses wax barriers to control the flow and distribution of blood and provide enhanced sampling by minimizing the hematocrit effect. Patterned cards reproducibly fill four replicate extraction zones independent of the hematocrit. We demonstrate a 3-fold improvement in accuracy for the quantitation of hemoglobin using pDBS cards compared to unpatterned cards. Patterned cards also facilitate the near quantitative recovery (ca. 95%) of sodium with no evidence of a statistically significant difference between dried and liquid blood samples. Similarly, recovery of select amino acids was conserved in comparison to a recent report with improved inter-card precision. We anticipate that this approach presents a viable method for preparing and storing samples of blood in limited resource settings while maintaining current clinical protocols for processing and analyzing dried blood spots.
Benefits and Challenges Associated with the Implementation of Lean in Transportation Agencies

The highway construction industry constantly looks to increase productivity while public transportation agencies face challenges of shrinking budgets and staff numbers, even as the work continues t...
Role of resin percolation in gap filling mechanisms during the thin ply thermosetting automated tape placement process

Abstract During the automated tape placement process, gaps between adjacent tapes are created due to the limitation of machine accuracy, especially at higher speeds. These gaps are undesirable as they cause porosity, thickness variation, and fiber waviness, introducing defects in the composite part. Applying pressure and temperature to part can assist in partially or completely filling these gaps. For thermosetting resins, such processing is usually required for the material to reach complete consolidation. Modeling the tape deformation as squeeze flow of fibrous suspension in the liquid matrix is usually deployed to determine gap filling and tape deformation. However, existence of resin rich zones in the micrographs of fabricated parts suggests that there may be a second flow process involved which is the percolation of matrix through the fiber bed into the remaining empty space of the gaps. This paper extends the previous work that modeled the cross-ply deformation and squeeze flow as the primary mechanisms in the gap filling process during consolidation of thermosetting composites. Based on our experimental results, this work adds the percolation flow to the model to predict (1) the spread of fiber/matrix suspension into the gap, (2) the resin percolation out of the fiber bed into the gap and (3) the deformation of the cross (bridging) ply or plies. The governing equations are formulated, and scaling analysis is performed to estimate the effect of tape thickness on percolation flow confirming that this mechanism is more significant when thin tapes are employed. Fixed mesh numerical scheme is used to evaluate the deformation and flow progression of both the resin percolation flow and the squeeze flow of fiber/resin suspension during the consolidation process. A parametric study is conducted to evaluate the effect of model parameters. Finally, the predicted percolated resin flow along with squeeze flow advancement is compared with experimental results.
Impacts of common faults on an air conditioner with a microtube condenser and analysis of fault characteristic features

Abstract Split system air conditioners are widely used to cool residential buildings, because of their low cost and simplicity. However, their efficiency is impacted by installation faults, which include: improper refrigerant charge (undercharge or overcharge), improper evaporator airflow, liquid line restrictions (LL), and the presence of non-condensable gas (NC) in the refrigerant. No known previously published research has studied the effect of these four faults on a system equipped with a microtube condenser, which has smaller tube size than a traditional condenser and therefore holds less refrigerant charge, but has a different configuration than a microchannel. Furthermore, very few have studied the impacts of LL and NC. This paper describes laboratory fault tests of a microtube-equipped system, compares the fault impacts with those of a traditional system, and considers the characteristic fault features. The tested system uses R-410A refrigerant and has a scroll compressor, a fixed orifice expansion device, and two fin-tube heat exchangers. The tests were carried out under steady operation with a range of fault intensities and operating conditions. The microtube system’s performance degradation from faults is similar to systems with traditional heat exchangers, despite the reduced capacity to hold refrigerant charge.
Cingulate circuits are associated with escalation of heroin use and naloxone-induced increases in heroin self-administration

Abstract Opioid use disorder (OUD) is defined as a compulsion to seek and take opioids, loss of control over intake and the development of a negative emotional state when access to opioids is denied. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data in a rat model of OUD, we demonstrate that the escalation of heroin self-administration (SA) and the increased heroin SA following an injection of an opioid receptor antagonist (naloxone) are associated with changes in distinct brain circuits, centered on the cingulate cortex (Cg). Here, SA escalation score was negatively associated with changes in resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) between the Cg and the dorsal striatum. Conversely, increased heroin SA following naloxone injection, was associated with increased connectivity between the Cg and the extended amygdala and hypothalamus. Naloxone-induced increased SA was also positively associated with changes in the amplitude of low frequency fluctuations within the Cg, a measure of spontaneous neuronal activity. Characterizing the distinct brain circuit and behavior changes associated with different facets of addiction increases our understanding of OUD and may provide insight into addiction prevention and treatment.
Progress of nanotechnology for lithium-sulfur batteries

Abstract Lithium-Sulfur (Li-S) battery has been proposed and investigated since the 1960s as an effective energy storage device via reversible electrochemical reactions. As the fast development and commercialization of Li-ion battery (LIB) technology kept moving forward, no breakthroughs have been attained to solve critical technical issues facing Li-S batteries during the following decades. In the year 2000s, Li-S batteries reattracted significant interests in the research field owing to their low-cost advantages, high theoretical specific energy of 2600 Wh kg− 1, which is at least 3 times higher than the current LIB technology. The low-cost and high abundance of sulfur (i.e., the cathode active material), make Li-S batteries more appealing than LIBs given the fact that the latter use critical materials such as cobalt and nickel in the manufacturing of the cathodes. Moreover, the high-energy and low-cost features make the Li-S battery a promising energy storage technology in practical applications such as portable devices, electric vehicles, and grid storage when coupled with the harvesting of solar or wind renewable energies. For example, since 2007, SION Power Corporation (Tucson, USA) and Oxis Energy (UK) made progress towards the commercialization of Li-S batteries with products showing specific energies over 350 Wh kg− 1 for powering electric vehicles. To be on a par with the current LIB technology, the ultimate goal of achieving 500 Wh kg− 1 for Li-S battery will make it more competitive for widespread commercialization.
Efficient algorithms for shortest path queries in planar digraphs

This paper describes algorithms for answering shortest path queries in digraphs with small separators and, in particular, in planar digraphs. In this version of the problem, one has to preprocess the input graph so that, given an arbitrary pair of query vertices v and w, the shortest-path distance between v and w can be computed in a short time. The goal is to achieve balance between the preprocessing time and space and the time for answering a distance query. Previously, efficient algorithms for that problem were known only for the class of outerplanar digraphs and for the class of digraphs of constant treewidth. We describe efficient algorithms for this problem for any class of digraphs for which an O(√n) separator theorem holds. For such graphs our algorithm uses O(S) space and answers queries in O(n2/S) time, for any previously chosen S ∃ [n, n2]. For the class of planar digraphs improved algorithms are described.
PEDESTRIAN- AND BICYCLE-INDUCED PATH EROSION ON A UNIVERSITY CAMPUS

Soil denudation studies in urban environments are infrequent in the geomorphic literature. Here we describe the amount of soil erosion associated with pedestrian and bicycle pathways on an American university campus. The amount of soil denudation from thirty pedestrian/bicycle paths on the campus of the University of North Carolina was determined by morphometric measurements. Volumes denuded ranged from nearly 20 m3 to <0.2 m3 per site. Highest amounts were located at sites adjacent to a football stadium. Three types of paths were recognized, based on their utilization: paths running adjacent to existing sidewalks; paths cutting across lawns and through shrubbery from one sidewalk to another; and those formed by bicycles in order to avoid going up or down steps.
FOSTERING LOCAL GOVERNMENT COLLABORATION: AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS OF CASE STUDIES IN OHIO

While the literature on collaborative governance is voluminous and growing, empirical studies that test differing explanations for the success of local government to local government collaborations...
Regulatory Cascades: Function and Properties

A regulatory cascade is a system of signal-transducing proteins that relays signals from receptors to the proteins that carry out a cell's response. Cascades can amplify, integrate, filter and sharpen the signals they transmit. Keywords: signal transduction; protein phosphorylation; protein kinases; amplification; sensitivity
Kerr–Schild Description of a Rotating Dyon

We use the Kerr–Schild formalism topresent a simple view of a rotating dyon which isneither multidimensional nor supersymmetric, and may beregarded as a correspondence limit of a string dyon. Inthis metric, which permits Minkowskian solutions, wefind that both in the Einstein and Landau prescriptionsthe pseudo-energy-momentum tensor vanishes, withoutassuming that the null vector is also geodesic, as was done in earlier work. This allows anessentially Lorentz covariant treatment of theequations. The calculation of the total mass and angularmomentum are presented for completeness and we find that the contribution of the angular momentum to themass appears in the condition for the appearance of ahorizon and leads to the known modifiedBogomolny–Prasad–Sommerfield (bps)relation.
Directing Polyol Dehydration via Modification of Acid Catalysts with Metals

Metal–acid bifunctional catalysts consisting of an acidic silica-alumina support and a hydrogenating metal (nickel, copper, platinum, palladium, or ruthenium), were tested for their ability to modify the selectivity of the 1,2,6-hexanetriol dehydration reaction in the gas phase. The selectivity was found to be controlled by metal type and loading, with the highest observed selectivity to linear α,ω-dioxygenates occurring with a low loading of platinum or copper on silica-alumina and with the highest selectivity to pyrans observed over a nickel on silica-alumina catalyst. The observed selectivity changes were found to be due to parallel reactions leading to the formation of either linear α,ω-dioxygenates or pyran rings and not ring-opening of pyrans to α,ω-dioxygenates suggesting that the metals influenced the interaction of the polyol with the catalyst surface. The introduction of metals also enhanced activity and diminished catalyst deactivation. These results demonstrate that addition of metals to acid catalysts can have significant impact on the dehydration reaction both in terms of selectivity and activity.
The adjoint representation in rings of functions

Let G be a connected, simple Lie group of rank n defined over the complex numbers. To a parabolic subgroup P in G of semisimple rank r, one can associate n−r positive integers coming from the theory of hyperplane arrangements (see P. Orlik and L. Solomon, Combinatorics and topology of complements of hyperplanes, Invent. Math. 56 (1980), 167-189; Coxeter arrangements, in Proc. of Symposia in Pure Math., Vol. 40 (1983) Part 2, 269-291). In the case r=0, these numbers are just the usual exponents of the Weyl group W of G. These n−r numbers are called coexponents. Spaltenstein and Lehrer-Shoji have proven the observation of Spaltenstein that the degrees in which the reflection representation ofW occurs in a Springer representation associated to P are exactly (twice) the coexponents (see N. Spaltenstein, On the reflection representation in Springer’s theory, Comment. Math. Helv. 66 (1991), 618-636 and G. I. Lehrer and T. Shoji, On flag varieties, hyperplane complements and Springer representations of Weyl groups, J. Austral. Math. Soc. (Series A) 49 (1990), 449-485). On the other hand, Kostant has shown that the degrees in which the adjoint representation of G occurs in the regular functions on the variety of regular nilpotents in g := Lie(G) are the usual exponents (see B. Kostant, Lie group representations on polynomial rings, Amer. J. Math. 85 (1963), 327-404). In this paper, we extend Kostant’s result to Richardson orbits (or orbit covers) and we get a statement which is dual to Spaltenstein’s. We will show that the degrees in which the adjoint representation of G occurs in the regular functions on an orbit cover of a Richardson orbit associated to P are also the coexponents.
Syntactic complexity of scattered context grammars

The syntactic complexity of scattered context grammars with respect to the number of nonterminals is investigated. First, the family of the recursively enumerable languages is characterized by some basic operations, such as quotient and coding, over the languages generated by propagating scattered context grammars with four nonterminals. Then, a new method of achieving the characterization of the family of recursively enumerable languages by scattered context grammars is given; in fact, this family is characterized by scattered context grammars with only five nonterminals and a single erasing production. Finally, it is demonstrated that the number of nonterminals can be decreased by one in the present characterizations if scattered context grammars start their derivations from a word rather than a single symbol.
Novel Power Electronics Overload and Temperature Rise and Time Interval Prediction Based on Dynamic Thermal Modeling

In this digest an overload predicting algorithm is proposed based on the converter operating point and the thermal model of a 6.5 KV Silicon IGBT module. This algorithm can predict both the overload and the time interval for overload and hence can be used for thermal cycle performance evaluation for converters.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Special Issue on Simulators [Guest Editorial]

During one of the meetings as an Associate Editor of the IEEE Intelligent Transportation Systems Magazine, Christoph Stiller, the current Editor-in-Chief, approached me and asked if there was a topic for which I would like to have a special issue. With my own research being involved with ITS simulators, I naturally suggested that, to which I could not have asked for a more positive response. The quality of the -papers -received exceeded my expectations, and the reviewers did a tremendous job making recommendations for improvements with the accepted papers. Of the 12 papers received, five of them were accepted for this special issue of the ITS Magazine, with two of them being from Germany, one from Spain, one from China, and one from the United States.
Staged antrectomy and thoracoscopic truncal vagotomy for perforated peptic ulcer disease

We report the case of a 40-year-old man with a perforated duodenal ulcer who underwent antrectomy at laparotomy, and in whom standard truncal vagotomy was not technically possible due to an intraabdominal abscess. Thoracoscopic truncal vagotomy performed at the level of the inferior pulmonary vein was successful in completely eliminating symptoms due to peptic ulcer disease without producing clinically significant morbidity. The minimal morbidity and short hospital stay suggest that thoracoscopic truncal vagotomy provides a reasonable alternative in patients with complicated intraabdominal abscesses due to peptic ulcer disease.
Gender and Social Categorization: Familiarity and Ingroup Polarization in Recall and Evaluation

Abstract The present investigation examined the role of familiarity in the categorization process. Subjects (N = 111) were asked to recall statements made by strong or weak ingroup (same sex) and outgroup (opposite sex) applicants for medical residency programs and to evaluate the target applicants. The category relevance of the social context was accentuated by using gender-like residency programs. There were no effects of category familiarity in recall, consistent with the finding of Taylor, Fiske, Etckoff, and Ruderman (1978). An ingroup polarization effect was obtained: Strong, same-sex applicants were evaluated more favorably and weak, same-sex applicants, more unfavorably than opposite-sex applicants. These results support Tesser's (1978) model of attitude polarization. Discrepancies between these findings and the outgroup polarization effects obtained by Linville and Jones (1980) are discussed in terms of the mediating influence of category relevance and outgroup novelty in the relationship between...
Precipitate Flotation of Complexed Cyanide

Abstract Precipitated cyanide, complexed with Fe(II) at a molar Fe/CN ratio of 0.550, can be floated readily from aqueous suspension with a cationic surfactant, ethylhexadecyldimethylammonium bromide. The effects of three distinct mixing times of significance in preparing the precipitate and contacting it with surfactant, of pH, of initial cyanide concentration, of initial surfactant concentration, and of ionic strength have been established experimentally. Mixing times and the initial cyanide concentration have little influence on the flotation, while increases in pH and ionic strength have a most pronounced influence, part of which can be overcome with increased surfactant concentrations. At pH 6.0, 95% of the complexed cyanide can be foam separated from distilled water suspensions 1.5 to 3.1 mM in total cyanide. About 0.04 mole surfactant/mole complexed cyanide is required; about 0.08 mole/mole is required to increase the flotation to 99% or to overcome ionic strength effects.
Untargeted Plasma Metabolite Profiling Reveals the Broad Systemic Consequences of Xanthine Oxidoreductase Inactivation in Mice

A major challenge in systems biology is integration of molecular findings for individual enzyme activities into a cohesive high-level understanding of cellular metabolism and physiology/pathophysiology. However, meaningful prediction for how a perturbed enzyme activity will globally impact metabolism in a cell, tissue or intact organisms is precluded by multiple unknowns, including in vivo enzymatic rates, subcellular distribution and pathway interactions. To address this challenge, metabolomics offers the potential to simultaneously survey changes in thousands of structurally diverse metabolites within complex biological matrices. The present study assessed the capability of untargeted plasma metabolite profiling to discover systemic changes arising from inactivation of xanthine oxidoreductase (XOR), an enzyme that catalyzes the final steps in purine degradation. Using LC-MS coupled with a multivariate statistical data analysis platform, we confidently surveyed >3,700 plasma metabolites (50–1,000 Da) for differential expression in XOR wildtype vs. mice with inactivated XOR, arising from gene deletion or pharmacological inhibition. Results confirmed the predicted derangements in purine metabolism, but also revealed unanticipated perturbations in metabolism of pyrimidines, nicotinamides, tryptophan, phospholipids, Krebs and urea cycles, and revealed kidney dysfunction biomarkers. Histochemical studies confirmed and characterized kidney failure in xor-nullizygous mice. These findings provide new insight into XOR functions and demonstrate the power of untargeted metabolite profiling for systemic discovery of direct and indirect consequences of gene mutations and drug treatments.
“Step-up” versus “step-down” scattering asymmetry in the neutralization of H - on free-electron vicinal metal surfaces

Abstract The charge transfer between H− and a free-electron vicinal metallic surface is studied using a wave-packet propagation method. We apply a statistical Thomas–Fermi–von Weizsacker model with a local density approximation for the exchange-correlation energy to compute the ground-state electronic structure of the substrate. The long-range image charge effects in the electron transfer are included on a phenomenological level. We obtain the ion-survival probability from a rate equation for a set of realistic scattering trajectories of projectiles that are incident with a kinetic energy of 50 eV. Our calculations reveal a pronounced substrate orientation dependence of the charge transfer dynamics expressed in a “left-right” (or “step-up–step-down”) scattering asymmetry in the final ion-survival probability, which is caused by an enhancement of electron loss on the outgoing part of those ion trajectories which approach steps from below.
Abstract 1815: Genome-wide analysis of the molecular crosstalk between mitogenic and proinflammatory signaling in breast cancer.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC The interplay between mitogenic (e.g., estradiol) and proinflammatory (e.g., TNFα) signaling pathways play key roles in determining the phenotypes and clinical outcomes of breast cancers. Both pathways promote dramatic changes in the transcriptomes of breast cancer cells, as well as downstream cellular effects, but the interplay between these two pathways at the transcriptional level has not yet been analyzed in a comprehensive way across the genome. We have used global nuclear run-on coupled with deep sequencing (GRO-seq), a genomic method that maps the location and orientation of all actively engaged RNA polymerases, to characterize the immediate transcriptional responses of MCF-7 breast cancer cells treated for short durations (40 min.) with either estradiol (E2), TNFα, or both. In addition, we have integrated these data with chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled with deep sequencing (ChIP-seq) for both estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), which mediates E2 signaling, and the p65 subunit of the NF-κB transcription factor, which mediates TNFα signaling. Our results indicate extensive transcriptional interplay between these two signaling pathways, which is observed for a number of classical mitogenic and proinflammatory protein-coding genes. In addition, GRO-seq has allowed us to capture the transcriptional crosstalk at genomic locations encoding for long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), a poorly characterized class of RNAs which have been shown to play important roles in cancer outcomes. The synergistic and antagonistic interplay between E2 and TNFα also manifests itself at the level of ERα and p65 binding, which relocalize to new binding sites that are not occupied by either treatment alone. Taken together, our results identify rapid, signal-dependent transcriptional changes that occur during proliferative signaling versus inflammatory signaling and show that these effects are more extensive than previously anticipated. Uncovering the transcriptional landscape of these two important pathways outside of the protein coding regions of the genome may lead to new ways of diagnosing and treating breast cancer. Citation Format: Hector L. Franco, Anusha Nagari, W. Lee Kraus. Genome-wide analysis of the molecular crosstalk between mitogenic and proinflammatory signaling in breast cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1815. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-1815
Iron metabolism in the eye, a review

This review article covers all aspects of iron metabolism, which include studies of iron levels within the eye and the processes used to maintain normal levels of iron in ocular tissues. In addition, the involvement of iron in ocular pathology is explored. In each section there is a short introduction to a specific metabolic process responsible for iron homeostasis, which for the most part has been studied in non-ocular tissues. This is followed by a summary of our current knowledge of the process in ocular tissues.
The induction of host tryptophan oxygenase by staphylococcal infection. 1.

SummaryInfection of mice with Staphylococcus aureus leads to increased activity of liver tryptophan oxygenase, probably in an increased corticosteroid response associated with the infection. Nicotinamide was found to be effective in prolonging the survival of infected mice if given between 3 hr prior to and 1 hr after infection. None of the other tryptophan metabolites were effective against the challenge with staphylococci. Nicotinamide, as well as other chemicals which prolong the survival of infected mice can induce tryptophan oxygenase in the presence or absence of infection, but the studies reported here would seem to indicate that the mechanisms of protection do not involve changes in the activity of the enzyme.
Optimization of sensor design for Barkhausen noise measurement using finite element analysis

The effects of design parameters for optimizing the performance of sensors for magnetic Barkhausen emission measurement are presented. This study was performed using finite element analysis. The design parameters investigated include core material, core-tip curvature, core length, and pole spacing. Considering a combination of permeability and saturation magnetization, iron was selected as the core material among other materials investigated. Although a flat core-tip would result in higher magnetic flux concentration in the test specimen, a curved core-tip is preferred. The sensor-to-specimen coupling is thereby improved especially for materials with different surface geometries. Smaller pole spacing resulted in higher flux concentration.
9/11 and the Limitations of the Man's Man Construction of Masculinity in Don DeLillo's Falling Man

In Falling Man, Don DeLillo critiques the ability of the masculine stereotype of the man's man to respond effectively to the impact of terrorism upon American identity through his depiction of Keith Neudecker's transformation by the trauma of 9/11. Keith's deterioration reflects the instability of this mythic gender construction, and his ultimate fate, as a deliberately mediocre poker player, demonstrates the powerlessness of this notion of masculinity to provide an effective counternarrative to terrorism.
Reconstructing a Noisy Markov Chain

Abstract We attempt to observe a realization of a stationary two-state Markov chain, but conditions are such that there may be misidentification of states. The objective is therefore to use the observed sequence to reconstruct the underlying Markov sequence. For a symmetric transition matrix it is shown that the best reconstruction in a certain sense is that which minimizes a particular linear combination of the number of state transitions in the reconstructed sequence and the number of mismatches between the reconstructed and observed sequences. For this case an algorithm for reconstruction is presented. Reconstruction in the nonsymmetric case is also briefly discussed.
Progressive ratio schedules of reinforcement.

Pigeons’ pecks produced grain under progressive ratio (PR) schedules, whose response requirements increased systematically within sessions. Experiment 1 compared arithmetic (AP) and geometric (GP) progressions. Response rates increased as a function of the component ratio requirement, then decreased linearly (AP) or asymptotically (GP). Experiment 2 found the linear decrease in AP rates to be relatively independent of step size. Experiment 3 showed pausing to be controlled by the prior component length, which predicted the differences between PR and regressive ratio schedules found in Experiment 4. When the longest component ratios were signaled by different key colors, rates at moderate ratios increased, demonstrating control by forthcoming context. Models for response rate and pause duration described performance on AP schedules; GP schedules required an additional parameter representing the contextual reinforcement.
Historical evidence of a cold, dry summer during 1849 in the northeastern Great Basin and adjacent Rocky Mountains

This study reconstructs weather conditions of the northeastern Great Basin and adjacent Rocky Mountains in the western United States during the summer of 1849. Weather information were extracted from 84 diaries written by westward travelers and Mormon settlers. Periods of storminess were analyzed temporally and spatially for June 1 to September 31 on a daily basis from temperature and precipitation descriptions. Monthly frequencies of daily ice and frost, and precipitation descriptions were summed for July and August, and compared with modern meteorological data. Results of this study were compared with military metorological data and proxy evidence. Results indicate that the weather was colder and drier than today, suggesting that the Great American Desert Myth faded due to abnormally cold conditions experienced by westward travelers.
A possible mechanism for the observed streaming of O+ and H+ ions at nearly equal speeds in the distant magnetotail

In recent years, O(+) and H(+) ions streaming away from the earth along geomagnetic field lines have been observed in the distant magnetotail region. In the present paper, it is suggested that the transverse acceleration of the ions occurs on auroral field lines at altitudes above the field-aligned potential drops, where ion beams and electrostatic hydrogen cyclotron (EHC) waves have been simultaneously observed. It is pointed out that the preferential acceleration of O(+) relative to H(+) occurs through the interaction of O(+) ions with weak EHC waves, as suggested by Singh et al. (1983). A quantitative explanation is provided for the observed relationship between the energies of O(+) and H(+) ions.
Magnetization of sediments from the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean

The direction of magnetization of sediments obtained from the bottom of the North Atlantic Ocean by the core-sampling apparatus developed by Dr. C. S. Piggot of the Geophysical Laboratory of the Carnegie Institution of Washington has been measured by the method described in the preceding abstract by E. A. Johnson. Distinct differences in declination and inclination were found at various depths in one core—the only one extensively examined. The results of these measurements are plotted in Figure 1. This core was taken at a depth of 2.575 fathoms in latitude 46° 03′ north, longitude 43° 23′ west. It consists of a material known as "blue mud" with some volcanic ash through its lower portion. Compared with most sedimentary materials, this mud proved to be highly magnetic.